bpope’s blog

This article appeared in the Wall Street Journal on December 27th, and raises some interesting questions.

“The idea [of the boycott] is to use gay-spending power to punish businesses the activists say discriminate against gays’ right to get married. Among the dozens of businesses now being targeted for boycotts are hotels, fast-food chains and dental offices.”

One woman targeted donated $100 to the “Yes on 8″ campaign.  Since the boycott began, her restaurant has lost aproximately 30% of normal revenue.  A few other important details: many of the restaurant’s 89 employees are gay and the restaurant has long served as a local gay hangout, and the woman is a Mormon.

I can sympathize, if not empathize with her when she says “I can’t change a lifetime of faith in which I believe very deeply.”  Personally, I disagree with her beliefs, I think she is wrong, but that’s not the point here.

The point is, the boycott is not only against her, it is against her employees too.  In her support, they have raised over $5oo to offset her $100 donation, but the boycott continues.  There’s no legal issue here, people can boycott who they want.  And, no boycott is pretty, especially when you’rre trying to argue with deep-seated Faith.  However, maybe time and effort could be better spent boycotting a location that doesn’t actually affect so much of the gay community and a woman who is relatively tolerant.

Read the article , let me know what you think.