A recent column on the Internet has made me ask why do so many Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) people think that just because someone or some company holds anti-LGBTQ+ views the entire gay community must boycott them.
There is numerous businesses’ that have CEO’s that are bigoted, that does not mean the entire company is that way.
If LGBTQ+ people were to boycott everyone and anything that had ties to someone who is against them then that would count out ExxonMobil, Walmart, Chick-Fil-A, Urban Outfitters, Target, In-and-Out Burger, A-1 Self-Storage and the Salvation Army to name a few.
There are companies on the boycott list that I have recently shopped at and I did not feel persecuted for being gay.
There was nothing wrong with the people in the company.
The only thing that was bad were the anti-LGBTQ+ comments made by the CEO or other individuals.
There are some companies that deny LGBTQ+ people access to their services as well as funding campaigns of like minded individuals.
Salvation Army has done just that.
Funds from the organization have been used to openly support anti-LGBTQ+ movements and political candidates as well.
They also deny equal services to LGBTQ+ people.
The Salvation Army doesn’t allow same-sex families to use the family shelter. I see no problem with boycotting the Salvation Army for that denial of service.
Yet, when a CEO makes a personal contribution to a political campaign that they agree with, it is their right.
If that company says I am sorry you are not allowed to use our services because of your sexuality then that is discrimination.
We all know that discrimination is illegal.
I know that the Gay Rights movement has been compared to the African-American Civil Rights movement multiple times, but gay rights are an extension of that movement.
The African American Civil Rights movement came about to abolish public and private acts of racial discrimination for African Americans and other disadvantaged groups just as the Gay Rights movement does for the oppression of same-sex sexuality, same-sex marriage and gender variance.
Boycotting a company for their CEO having a different political view than you is just crazy.
If we were to boycott every company that disagreed with us in any way then we would all need to harvest our own food make all our own clothes, electronics, transportation and slaughter our own meat. Which most people do not have the skill set to do.
We all have to fight harder to make equality a reality, and show the world that no matter whom you are, from skin tone to sexuality, we are all human. That alone is the only way we can make this world a better place.
