The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) of Minnesota is joining the boycott against the Target Corporation, the owner of Target Department Stores. The union has 30,000 members and is Minnesota’s largest labor union. The Union said that Target should not have contributed money to Minnesota Forward, an organization supporting Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate, Tom Emmer. Minnesota Forward started television ads for Emmer in July.

In January of this year, the United States Supreme Court ruled in a 5-to-4 decision that the government can not ban donations to political organizations made by corporations with the court claiming is was a case of free speech. The dropping of the ban did not include direct corporate donations to individual candidates but only political organizations.

Target Corporation made a $150,000 donation in cash and services to Minnesota Forward to help support Tom Emmer. Emmer is known for opposing gay rights and especially gay marriage. Target’s donation was comprised of $100,000 in cash and $50,000 in goods and services. Electronics giant, Best Buy also donated $100,000 to Minnesota Forward.

LGBT organizations throughout the country called for a nationwide boycott against the country’s third largest retailer. Afterward, MoveOn.org joined the LGBT community and also called for a boycott. Protests nationwide were organized in front of neighborhood Target stores including a national day of protest on August 14.
Almost immediately, Target stock lost over $1.3 billion with the threat of a nationwide boycott, a loss of 3.5% but has since risen to pre-boycott levels.

August sales reports for Target indicate that same-store sales for August 2010 rose 1.8% over August 2009 and were inline with what the corporate management expected. The increase was less than what Wall Street market analysts forecasted which was a 2% increase — the overall forecast for the 31 reporting retailers. However, those same analysts said that their sales rise was comparable to much of their competition and that there is not enough data yet to know for sure. Five chains, including J.C. Penneys, bettered the 2% forecast. Overall, sales increase of the 31 retailers rose an average of 3.2%.

Minnesota Forward rose just over $1-million dollars in its fundraising efforts which were well below their $10-million dollar goal.

by JAMES MICHAELS

LGBT activists has designated a national day of protest against neighborhood Target Department Stores for Saturday, August 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sporadic protests have already been held in numerous cities throughout the United States. Organizers are upset with the Target Corporation for making a contribution to MN Forward, a political organization supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Emmer is known for opposing gay rights and especially gay marriage.

Earlier this year in January, the United States Supreme Court ruled, in a 5-to-4 decision that the government can not ban donations to political organizations made by corporations with the court claiming is was a case of free speech. The dropping of the ban did not include direct corporate donations to individual candidates.

Target’s donation was $100,000 in cash and another $50,000 in goods and services. Both Target and Best Buy, another retailer which made a $100,000 donation to MN Forward, had previously rated a 100% from the HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index.

“Target has been a champion for workplace equality for many years,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese in a written statement. “That’s why their recent donation to MN Forward was so at odds with their sterling reputation as a great employer for LGBT people. The fact that their political contribution was used to advance an anti-equality candidate was extremely hurtful to all fair-minded Americans.”

Target responded with: “Target understands the concerns of the HRC. We have had multiple conversations with the HRC during the past few weeks and will continue our constructive dialogue. Target respects the work of the HRC and appreciates our partnership with them over the years. We hope to continue to work with the HRC in a spirit of mutual cooperation.”

Target said that its decision to support MN Forward was based solely on helping to elect candidates who make lower taxes, jobs and economic issues a top priority.

Target’s chief executive, Gregg Steinhael also sent a statement to Target employees saying that the company is genuinely sorry about the donation and vowed to review the process in which political donations are decided.

Since the revelation of the donation, gay-rights activists have called for demonstrations outside of Target stores throughout the country and to destroy Target Visa credit cards. At first, Target stock has lost over $1.3 billion with the threat of a nationwide boycott, a loss of 3.5% but has since risen to pre-boycott levels.

Other research showed that Target has a history of supporting anti-gay causes. Abe Sauer wrote in The Awl that “The truth is not that Target and its leadership have suddenly turned on their commitment to gay rights. It’s more that it never really existed to begin with. Further research shows that Target has funneled significant funding to the most socially conservative of Republicans and that it boasts a frightening culture of anti-gay candidate support from Target’s own stable of top executives.”

The progressive-leaning MoveOn.org has joined in calling for a boycott of Target.

As a side note, Tom Emmer’s Democratic opponent for Minnesota governor is Mark Dayton whose family founded Dayton-Hudson Department stores which owns Target.

At press time, questions to Target corporate media relations department went unanswered.