Desert Stonewall Democrats Call for Boycott Against Pro-Prop 8 Businesses

[mitchtv]

Desert Stonewall Democratic Club Steering Committee Votes to Boycott, Protest Acura, Honda, Toyota of the Desert, Garff Chevrolet On Yes on Prop 8 Donations
Posted 4/11/2009 9:17 AM PDT on MyDesert.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Roger Tansey ∙ 760-641-2125 ∙ [e-mail]; Donald W. Grimm, Ph.D. ∙ 760-320-5787 ∙ [e-mail]

Desert Stonewall Democrats Call for Boycott Against Pro-Prop 8 Businesses
Initial Targets: Toyota, Honda, and Acura of the Desert

PALM SPRINGS, CA – 11 April 2009: On October 29, 2008, when Katherine Garff, matriarch of a Utah-based family that owns numerous automobile dealerships in Utah, donated $100,000 in support of Proposition 8, she probably thought little of the four dealerships her family recently bought in the Coachella Valley. Proposition 8, which took away the 'fundamental right' of gays and lesbians to marry in California, narrowly won by 52% of the vote with much financial support from those outside of California.

The Desert Stonewall Democratic Club (DSD), a local organization devoted to advancing equal rights for all people, regardless of sexual orientation, has news for Ms. Garff: “You’re not in Utah anymore.” On Saturday, the leadership of DSD voted to call for a boycott of all Garff-owned businesses in the Coachella Valley. The four dealerships, Toyota, Honda, and Acura of the Desert in Cathedral City, as well as Ken Garff Cadillac-Chevrolet in La Quinta, are now the focus of the DSD-sponsored boycott and related protests.

“This is America. Katherine Garff has every right to spend her money as she wishes,” said Roger Tansey, Vice-Chair of DSD and a former customer of Toyota of the Desert. And I have every right to take my Prius elsewhere, so that Ms. Garff doesn’t turn around and spend my money in California to take away my rights.”

Added Donald W. Grimm, Ph.D., co-chair of DSD’s Media Relations Committee and former customer of Acural of the Desert, “The $100,000 donation from a family whose businesses depend on gay and lesbian customers is fundamentally abhorent. My husband and I call on all right-thinking people to avoid the four Garff dealerships in our Coachella valley and urge others to spend their money where it will not later be spent on hate.”

DSD is also planning a public protest of dealership(s) at a date and time to be announced.

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The Desert Stonewall Democrats (DSD) is an organization devoted to advancing equal rights for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. For more information join the group Boycott H8! on Facebook or visit www.desert-stonewall.org.

[davidinalameda]

1. good for them!

and I'm glad they're making their opposition known publicly

[TheWraith]

2. I'll never understand...

People who have so much money that they can drop a hundred grand on a political donation, and yet don't have the most basic understanding of the responsibilities associated with having that much power.

[roody]

5. She could have bought an apartment for a family in need.

Imagine that.

[robinlynne]

3. right on.

[mitchtv]

4. There has to be a big push on Cinemark Theaters

They're all ove CA, and the west

[RetiredTrotskyite]

6. You GO, Desert Stonewall Democrats!!!

They don't want us to have equal rights? Then they don't need our money. It's about time these bigots learn that choices have consequences. I'm so sick of people who smile at us and take our hard-earned money, and then use it to deny us our rights. DSD,:yourock: :headbang:

[sui generis]

7. that's quite all right

I also won't hire anyone who gave money or blogged in support of Prop 8, and I've actually fired one weirdo right here at my company who I found out was rabidly spewing shit here about the uppity hoe-moes tryin' to redefine marriage. Hey, it's Texas. It's a right to work state. Except, I'm the employer. woopsie.

:shrug:

I seriously thought about firing him for being straight, but alas, it's not the time yet for that ploy. When I'm ready to weather the storm of reporters and OUTRAGED moral people, we'll do that. :evilgrin: