Joe.My.God. LGBT News
“Boycotts are ineffective and only cost Christian organizations time and money. They are futile and ineffective. Boycotting is not how Jesus did business. He was a carpenter and routinely mingled with known sinners.” – Jerry Falwell Jr, responding to a Christian Post survey of religious leaders on anti-gay boycotts.
Concerned Women head Penny Nance disagrees.
“One of the most notorious victories occurred in 1986, when an American Family Association (AFA) boycott successfully convinced 7-Eleven to ban its distribution of Playboy and Penthouse magazines. In 2008, too, an AFA boycott led to a McDonald’s executive stepping down from a homosexual rights association board. We win moral victories, but might not always gain ground in the public arena. But if we abandon the argument, then there will be no light in the darkness.”
American Family Association head Donald Wildmon claims that boycotts work, but only if you do them one company at a time. There must not be much internal dialogue with One Million Moms.
“You cannot boycott the world. That is why AFA has generally stuck to one at a time as with Home Depot now,” said Wildmon, son of Don Wildmon, who has pioneered many boycotts. “The idea is that if you demonstrate effectiveness with one company, others are going to take notice and listen when you approach them.” “A boycott is only after you have exhausted all other means of getting results such as persuasion based on the reasonableness of your request,” Wildmon argues.
“With companies, we just ask that they remain neutral in the culture war, not support one side or the other. Home Depot, for instance, has actively participated in homosexual pride parades across the country. For AFA, that crosses the line. We are not so much concerned about a company’s internal affairs with their employees. It’s when they financially support activism that we have a problem with. For example, giving financial contributions to the Human Rights Campaign or Planned Parenthood.”
Home Depot’s stock value has almost tripled since the AFA launched their boycott.