Anybody Boycotting for Equality?

[TeaElle]

http://www.boycottforequality.org/ -- In short, on Friday, October 8, GLBT Americans and their allies are requested to call off of work, refrain from any shopping, stay off of their cell phones (no good daytime minutes for the telecoms) and spend the day "dropped out" of the economy in boycott.

Who's boycotting? I don't work anymore, but I can certainly spend a day not shopping or chatting on my phone, and I can also let everyone know why I'm doing it.

Are you in? Or rather, out? :)

[AskNott]

I have some long-standing personal boycotts for reasons of equality.

Cracker Barrel restaurants have a history of discrimination against lesbians and women in general.

Denny's has gathered a long list of complaints about ignoring black customers.

WalMart is the current champion on the list of labor criminals. Unpaid overtime, passing over women for promotion, subpoverty wages, the list goes on and on.

I'm not black, and I'm not female, but I won't stand by and let them be stepped on. I won't set foot in those businesses.

[dalej42]

What good would something like this do? Let's say someone goes out of their way to patronize gay and lesbian businesses. Should they boycott them that day as well?

A full scale business boycott like this is silly. Especially if it includes not using phone minutes that you have paid for.

[Blalron]

Denny's has gathered a long list of complaints about ignoring black customers.

I've heard that Denny's has gone to great lengths to reform itself after they lost tens of millions of dollars in a lawsuit a decade ago. I think its a moot point by now.

[danceswithcats]

Rather than a highly visible show, I boycott Mall-Wart 24/7/365.

[iampunha]

I respectfully do not really see the point. Anything I refrain from buying one day I will just buy on another day, so what is really accomplished? If anything, I will seek out a Proctor & Gamble product or two. Anyone who pisses off the AFA can't be all *that* bad.

[danceswithcats]

That's a relief. I thought you were gonna run nekkid through the boycott. :p

[iampunha]

That's a relief. I thought you were gonna run nekkid through the boycott. :p

Nah. With two new charter members and another MPSIMS thread, I filled this month's quota in a day.

[Hostile Dialect]

I'll certainly do it. The cell phone part seems a little iffy because I have already paid for the minutes, and the website could have chosen better wording when telling us to "withdraw from ATMs" :) , but all in all it's a good cause.

Another important date (particularly for students, but anyone can participate in it) is that of the Day of Silence (http://dayofsilence.com/), Wednesday, April 13th. It's a student-led day where GLBT people and straight allies take a vow of silence for the day, and explain what they are doing by showing people small printouts explaining the day and its purpose. The idea is to get people to think about those they have silenced with their actions and words. The effect on a student body can be quite profound, and the things one hears on that day from objectors can be quite shocking, such as one gem from a couple of years ago when someone said "Transsexuals are fucked up in the head".

[levdrakon]

No. You have to be careful how you pick your battles when you boycott. This one is far too broad, participation will be ridiculously low, it won't cause even the slightest economic blip.

I'd like to see a reverse boycott. Pick a company with a good reputation, and one day a year have everyone buy something from them. I'm pretty sure once that company reported a significant increase in sales that day, you'd see a lot of other companies paying attention.

[AskNott]

I've heard that Denny's has gone to great lengths to reform itself after they lost tens of millions of dollars in a lawsuit a decade ago. I think its a moot point by now.

That's what they promised to do, but the lawsuits kept on coming. Screw 'em.

[CrazyCatLady]

I'm a little unclear on what, precisely, they're hoping to accomplish because of this. Demonstrate that GBLT and supporters are a powerful economic force, yes, but to what end, exactly? Is this one day supposed to make Bushco shake in its shoes and get rid of the marriage amendment? That seems an unlikely result, since this amendment isn't exactly rooted in the idea that gays are only a tiny part of our society. This amendment is rooted in the idea that gayness is inherently wrong, and a show of economic strength isn't going to change that idea.

It's a good cause, but it seems unlikely to work. We just seem to be missing a lot of intermediate steps here, like the underwear gnomes.

[Otto]

It's a good cause, but it seems unlikely to work. We just seem to be missing a lot of intermediate steps here, like the underwear gnomes. Underwear gnomes? Oh god, not another gay affinity subgroup!

[CrazyCatLady]

No, it's a South Park episode. This group of gnomes had a business plan that went something like

1. Steal underwear
2. ????
3. Profit!!!

[DocCathode]

This seems stupid and pointless. A sustained boycot of a specific company can be effective. Not buying goods or services for one day will have no effect on any company.



Another important date (particularly for students, but anyone can participate in it) is that of the Day of Silence (http://dayofsilence.com/), Wednesday, April 13th. It's a student-led day where GLBT people and straight allies take a vow of silence for the day, and explain what they are doing by showing people small printouts explaining the day and its purpose. The idea is to get people to think about those they have silenced with their actions and words. The effect on a student body can be quite profound, and the things one hears on that day from objectors can be quite shocking, such as one gem from a couple of years ago when someone said "Transsexuals are fucked up in the head".

We've discussed the day of silence before. I'm firmly with the 'Matthew Shephard, Gwen Arujo, and Brandon Tina are silent. I'm gonna scream my fool head off to prevent anybody else from being silenced.'

Otto As I understand it, it's a subgroup of bears. These guys tend to be as short as they are hairy, and many have expressed a fetish for unwashed briefs.

[Zoe]

I will participate in the boycott. And if GLBT decides to approach the problem with a different kind of arrangement later -- boycotting Wal-Mart and patroning a fairminded organization, I will cooperate that way too. Whatever it takes.

Why not just support the effort that day (if you support the cuase) rather than undermining it because another way could have been more effective? Offer your ideas, certainly! Make the next effort better, but take this step.

If you really can't afford to miss work, at least consider not going shopping or using the cell phone.

[DocCathode]

Why not just support the effort that day (if you support the cuase) rather than undermining it because another way could have been more effective?.

Because things like this have no effect other than to make the participants feel that they have accomplished something and can stop working for change. It's like wearing a button, without bothering to speak out to people, donate money or time to organizations, vote, contact politicians or do anything else.

How can I undermine something that won't accomplish anything?

[DocCathode]

I realized that this is not the proper forum for debating the merits of the boycott for equality.

So I started this GD thread (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5298438#post5298438)

[Eve]

I'll happily refrain from buying anything, but I can't afford to risk my job by staying home (we have a new boss, and things are dicey at the office), and I have to keep my cell phone on, as I have to be in touch with my mother's doctors at all times.

[Khadaji]

I respectfully do not really see the point. Anything I refrain from buying one day I will just buy on another day, so what is really accomplished? If anything, I will seek out a Proctor & Gamble product or two. Anyone who pisses off the AFA can't be all *that* bad.Exactly the point I popped into make. These day-long boycotts always amaze me - and disappoint me when they are sent to me by friends who usually think things through.

[TJdude825]

Another important date (particularly for students, but anyone can participate in it) is that of the Day of Silence (http://dayofsilence.com/), Wednesday, April 13th. It's a student-led day where GLBT people and straight allies take a vow of silence for the day, and explain what they are doing by showing people small printouts explaining the day and its purpose. The idea is to get people to think about those they have silenced with their actions and words. The effect on a student body can be quite profound, and the things one hears on that day from objectors can be quite shocking, such as one gem from a couple of years ago when someone said "Transsexuals are fucked up in the head". I didn't find out about that until about lunchtime on that day last year. I think the only reason it wasn't that effective at our school is that so few kids (probably about 20 out of a student body of some 2000 or 3000) did it. Someone please start a thread and remind me this year?

[mhendo]

Why not just support the effort that day (if you support the cuase) rather than undermining it because another way could have been more effective? Offer your ideas, certainly! Make the next effort better, but take this step.I agree with this.

It's just like a protest. It doesn't have to have a measurable economic effect, or result in an immediate change in policy. It is a way of expressing support for a particular position.Because things like this have no effect other than to make the participants feel that they have accomplished something and can stop working for change. It's like wearing a button, without bothering to speak out to people, donate money or time to organizations, vote, contact politicians or do anything else.Not at all.

Much as this might surprise you, it is possible to participate in something like this AND ALSO continue working for change. Activism is not a zero-sum game, where participating in one event means foregoing participation in another.