Wal-Mart Losing Its Pride

June 22, 2007

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We don’t shop at Wal-Mart because … well we’re gay and, you know, into fashion. But we had always heard how the giant chain store had placed an importance on the gay and lesbian consumer, even having introduced a gay-themed jewelry line in their stores.

Well nothing stops the well-meaning support from a major American company like those Christian conservatives who threatened a boycott of Wal-Mart if they did not cease and desist supporting the gay movement.

CNN Money has the story. In response of that as well as some grumbling employees Wal-Mart promptly curbed its support of GLBT organizations.

"We are not currently planning corporate-level contributions to GLBT groups," said Mona Williams, the company's senior vice president of corporate communications.

Williams also added that it doesn’t signal any less support for Wal-Mart’s gay and lesbian employees or for Wal-Mart Pride, a GLBT network at the company. "We certainly don't feel that it's a retrenchment," she said.

After the announcement some gay-rights groups were understanding in a “they’ve got long pockets” kind of way, such as Selisse Berry an executive director of Out & Equal: "Wal-Mart continues to engage on the issue of worker equality, and we will support them in that...This is a marathon, not a sprint, and so long as Wal-Mart keeps its doors open, we hope to give them encouragement."

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