Macy's dumps gay pride display after wingnuts whine. . .

[kevinbgoode]

The Boston Downtown Crossing Macy's store designed a window display which included two mannequins and the wording of a list of activities planned for the city's annual gay pride celebration. The list also included web site connections to the local AIDS organization and the pride committee, which had approved the design created by Macy's personnel.

MassResistance, or the tawdry, ragtag social misfits hiding behind "christianity" known as the Article 8 Alliance, ordered their members to send emails and calls to the store, claiming the mannequins were "offensive." Of course, someone in that company wasn't bright enough to understand that the existence of human beings is "offensive" to these faux "religious" nuts, so the store took down the mannequins and removed the references to the web sites. Of course that isn't good enough for the control freaks - they want all references to the pride festival removed - NOW.

While the store issued letters explaining that they celebrate Black History Month and St. Patrick's Day, the christo-fascists (who have convinced themselves that their own peepees only function because GOD molded them out of play-doh on their wedding night) screamed that they were endorsing an evil lifestyle and a parade of debauchery - which means, if anyone is having fun and it isn't about wailing over this week's discovery of the white baby jesus in their cereal bowl, they are participating in immoral acts of devil worship.

Here is the web site for the diabolocal Article Hate Alliance: http://www.article8.org/

And here is the Boston Herald story about the controversy, which is growing across the country as angry GLBT citizens are cutting up credit cards and protesting to the company. You'll see the picture of the mannequin display - notice that there isn't anything that would be considered indecent or a violation of any public display laws. The mayor of Boston has criticized the company already for bowing to these wingnuts. . .

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=142499

This is Gay Pride Week in Boston. This isn't a wingnut holyroller whining festival. A company that claims it supports all aspects of a community, and then voluntarily designs a display only to TAKE it down as the Pride Week begins because it "offended" some faux "christians" is disgusting. My question is this: I understand they have every right to air their opinions to the store, but who appointed them the arbiters of community standards?

And how should we respond to this travesty?

Oh...by the way...there is a thread in the GLBT area with some phone numbers/email addresses if you are so moved. I have a Federated department store (Famous-Barr) in my city, and I won't be trading there any longer - and am VERY close to making a sign and standing in their parking lot.

[pstokely]

1. I think Federated was a big repuke donor

so was May Co.(now part of Federated.)