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An e-mail is floating around pointing out Southern California restaurant high ranking employees or owners who donated to Yes on Prop 8, which sought to eliminate gay marriage. The author of the e-mail, who wished to remain anonymous wrote "it's wrong to penalize those whose employees were the ones that donated, of course, so this list is limited only to ownership and decision-making upper management. Still, the results are surprising. All of these results are freely available to verify yourself." As you may already know, El Coyote Restaurant on Beverly Blvd. has already been the focus of much discussion.
So, what well known restaurants are caught up in this hot mess? Let's take a look at what the e-mail points to...
- C&L Restaurant Group - Largest franchisee of Burger King locations in So Cal; Richard Cross, restaurant operator, donated $4,000 to the campaign. Donation verified on LA Times.
- T-Bird Restaurant Group - Exclusive rights to franchise Outback Steakhouse in California. CFO Mikkel Christensen donated $2,000. Donation verified on LA Times.
- WKS Restaurant Corporation, company with franchise rights for El Pollo Loco. Roland Spongberg, President, donated $6,000 to Yes on 8. Donation verified on LA Times.
- Yard House - Restaurant Partner ("Owner"), Executive Chef Carlito Jocson donated $100. Donation verified on LA Times.
- Real Mex Restaurants - Steven Tanner, CFO, donated $500.00 Restaurants under their belt include all: El Torito, Chevy's and Acapulco, as well as smaller concepts Las Brisas, Casa Gallardo, Who Song & Larry's, and El Paso Cantina. Donation verified on LA Times.
A slew of other small family owned restaurants are also listed as well as Michael O'Grady, operating partner for three San Diego County locations of PF Chang's.
But the real question is, where do you draw the line when deciding if to patronize these restaurants?
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NOOOOOO! not the yard house! damn.
Eh, looks like no more Outback Steakhouse for me. Guess I'll have to find another purveyor for massive portions of shite food.
The only place on that list that I'd consider going to is the Yard House - but not now.
Personally? Anyone at executive level ("above the line" for us film industry folks) of these places who donated to or supported Prop 8 means that business has lost me as a customer.
Don't even start about 'fair' or 'choice'.
Sure, it's their choice to support whatever ballot initiative they choose. It's my choice as to where I spend my money.
OMG! Penalizing someone for having a different...point of view?
Some people may be taking it a little far, but I don't see this being much different from choosing not to buy products from a company who contributes to environmental harm or other issues you disagree with. This is why so many companies have PR firms. I won't so much as buy a coke at McDonald's because I don't want to support their enterprise.
Damn, I wish there were an actual opportunity to boycott one of these places, but I have never eaten in any of them and never would anyway.
WKS Restaurant Corporation also shows Denny's and Corner Bakery Cafe on their website, be sure to punish them too.
Yard House's majority owner is TSG Consumer Products, where their portfolio includes all types of consumer products (such as voss and spic and span), and an investor of theirs is the Manager of Investments at Southern California Edison, so if you are dedicated to this cause then boycott electricity too.
Marsalis, I've got a newsflash for you:
"Investor" is not an executive level position, nor is manager of investments.
And it's not "punishment". It's my exercising my rights as a consumer to not patronize certain businesses for whatever reason I choose.
Oh, and thanks for the heads up about Corner Bakery - I won't be going there anymore.
Denny's is irrelevant to me as I don't eat there.
I want to know which restaurants donated to the NO ON 8 campaign so I will eat at those MORE.
Come on LAist, equal time here.
So where do we draw the line here?
I'd argue that - for instance, in the case of Yard House - your patronage is not the make or break case of whether the chef can donate $100 to defeat Prop 8. But your lack of patronage could put a big dent in the tips of the servers at the restaurant.
What about corporations that are publicly held? Do we look at the names of all the shareholders, and withhold are business from each of those individuals and their companies?
I voted in favor of Prop 8, and in general I'm in favor of patronizing businesses that do good things for the community. But this is starting to take on a witch-hunt like atmosphere. It's taking on a hateful tone which is every bit as disturbing as the hate coming from some No on 8 groups.
If you own a company, don't get involved with issues that might make people mad. If you do, expect some people might just not ever shop there again.
In Los Angeles we have more then enough great eateries that make wonderful food that just stayed out of this mess. In these hard economic times, it is easy to say "I will skip eating at Outback"
To avoid these places will be easy and joyful.
Think before you donate!
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but aren't some of these just franchisee's, meaning they're in contract with the restaurant to franchise one of their restaurants?
For example, I could franchise out a KFC or two. Later, I donate for Proposition 8. Upon some detective work, it would show I donated to Prop 8, and am associated with KFC.... but only my one or two..... Not the gagillions of other ones, out there....
Right?
Right. That's why you need to be careful. Also, I would concentrate on owners, not chief financial officers or executive chefs. Remember that if you fire someone for non-work related reasons, they can easily sue you for discrimination (perhaps religious discrimination, if they felt that supporting Prop 8 was part of their religion). Marjorie Christofferson, fair game since she owns a large piece of the place, and could sell off her share. Steven Tanner? If the company offs him because of his campaign donations, he has a legitimate case to file for religious discrimination.
I personally draw the line at the officers and/or owners of a company. I think that a CFO's donation to Yes on 8 is significant, as is a CEO's donation. If the highest levels of a corporation are giving to take away my rights, I am going to exercise my right to withdraw my money from that company. It's as simple as that.
If an employee at any other level than office or owner gave then of course I'm not going to punish the company they work for. They have nothing to do with it. That's my line in the sand and I'm sticking to it.
You can easily do some detective work and find out which stores the franchise owner runs and simply avoid those locations. It's not all that hard to do. I agree that the corporation should not be punished for something a franchisee did, but I will certainly not support the particular stores of said franchisee who supported Prop. 8.
I think The Point (www.thepoint.com) would be perfect for this - you can organize a boycott that only begins once a critical mass of people sign on, e.g. "C&L Restaurant Group must fire Richard Cross (or something like that) or else we will boycott if 1,000 people join."
Also... If Jeff Kent somehow stays on the Dodgers roster... lets go boo him.
All you guys that want to boycott these places and products are simply idiots. You have no idea what you're talking about. All of these places and products and Jeff Kent too will not feel one ounce of pain. Collectively, you have nothing that will hurt them - even if everyone that reads all the anti-gay crap joins in. What a bunch of pathetic losers.
It’s perfectly fine with these major restaurants if you don’t eat there, because they’ll have a lot more room for those that don’t want to wait for you.
There. Fixed it for you.
Dammit - apparently the comments section doesn't reconize the strikethrough tag. So my hilarious reply just looks stupid. Here's how it should have come across:
Hang on - here, fxed it:
See? comedy gold!
Does anyone know what kind of OUTREACH & EDUCATION is being organized by the gay & lesbian communtiy on this issue? It would seem to me that efforts would be better spent trying to educate and talk to communities that may be confused / disenfranchised by gay marriage, rather than this all-out-war, win-at-all-costs campaign. The results of the election are in. Prop 8 passed. It's terrible. Now... how can we best influence perceptions & attitudes to not have the same thing happen again? BUILD bridges, not BURN them.
Wow! I've seen people make an ass of them self before but I got to hand it to you Ross, you've outdone them all.
Go a head, do the same thing to this post. It only seems fitting that you keep up the third grade approach. Then go back to “myspace” where you belong kiddo.
Strange that the owner of El Pollo Loco at Sunset Junction contributed. Did he not think anyone would notice?
Anyway, goodbye $1 BRC burrito. I'll miss you, more than you'll ever know.
This is EXACTLY what the Christian right does whenever they deem something wrong.
They Boycott Networks and Establishments now they cry fowl because we choose to do the same thing.
As the preacher who I believe was speaking for the Mormon church said on the news to those who lost a civil right I say the same back to all those pro 8 donaters "SUCK IT UP"
These companies don't want your gay business anyway. You don't have that much power. Heck, the Mormons are a small group and they kicked your butt.
For every burrito, steak, burger, or salad you pass up, there will be 10 Mormons standing in line to buy twice as much. All while you're passing up the stuff you love to eat. It's this type of thinking that lost you the vote. You all crack me up!
^^^^
Hmmm, how many practicing Mormons do you think live in Silver Lake, genius?
I agree with Jackjood in the sense that the most effective approach is probably going to be peaceful outreach and education, rather than indulging in shouting matches. It boggles my mind that the vast majority of Prop 8 supporters truly believe that people "choose" to be gay. We need to educate these people so that they realize that the vast majority of gay people didn't "choose" to be only attracted to the same sex, just as we straight people didn't "choose" to be attracted to only the opposite sex.
That said, I will definitely be boycotting businesses whose owners donated to Prop 8. It sickens me that the money I previously spent in their stores and restaurants may have been used to pay for those misleading "yes on 8" ads...
As a multi-ethinc, 30+ year member of the LDS church, I must say the events of the last few days have left me disheartened. To be clear, The LDS Church has never and will never admonish members on how to vote. It goes completely against one of the major points of doctrine, that we all have free agency to make our own choices in the world. Rather than sling accusations to enflame the uninformed, concerns would be better considered by using actual facts. The manner in which these protests are being carried out do little but diminish any possibility of obtaining a true resolution.
Thank you for your time.
Hey Hindinwood - Go ahead and boycott in Silver Lake and you'll find out how many. They're everywhere. They're already your worst nightmare. Maybe you should wake up.
How absurd it is to hear people like gwndiva and gingerous act like the victim. Diva indeed!
You are asking us to tolerate your "difference of opinion"? You mean, your opinion that my family should be deprived of the same rights you enjoy?
That's not an opinion. That's persecution.
When are you freaks going to get this through your abused minds. You have the the same rights! Quit refusing to understand that. Go ahead let 'em fly cuz you'll never get it anyway. Even your gay idol understands it.
"I don't want to be married. I'm very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership," John says. "The word 'marriage,' I think, puts a lot of people off.
"You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships."
- Elton John
Go ahead and google it. It's there.
"Even your gay idol understands it."
I'm not sure Elton is THE idol to all gay folks.
Even still, I'm sure there were some African Americans back in the 50's and 60" that didn't have a problem with sitting in the back of the bus either.
BTW jpDUMB, boycotts do work, the gay community has a lot more than just gays backing them up, and you sir, (or madam), are a dumbass.
Oh, great comeback jrb. There may have some AAs willing to sit in the back of the bus, but it certianly wasn't leader in the AA community like Elton is in the gay community.
First of all jplumb, I'm not gay- not sure why you assumed that.
Secondly, while there might be SOME Mormans/anti-gay sentiment in areas like Silver Lake and West Hollywood, the vocal majority is anti-Prop 8. If you disagree with that you are pretty dillusional.
Ps. Can't stand Elton John. Except for Benny and the Jets, that's a decent tune...
'scuze me, "Mormons" not Mormans"
"voting" with your dollar >>>>>>> voting at the polls.
jplumb, I did a simple, quick, little internet search cause I wasn't too sure about the facts but here's what I found out.
Massachusetts allows Gay marriage.
Connect, New Jersey and Vermont Civil Unions. Civil unions are allowed in Connecticut, New Jersey and Vermont. Civil unions allow all of the state level benefits of marriage to gay couples.
CALIFORNIA, District of Columbia, and Maine Domestic Partnerships. Domestic partnerships allow some, but NOT all of the benefits and responsibilities of marriage to gay couples.
Clearly there is inequality when it comes to this issue that Californians are fighting for.
I would understand your opinions and postings more if you just came out and say you didn't like the gay community. In America you are entitled to your opinion, but I too am entitled to my opinion that I think you're a bigot.
Kampy and jackjood are right. Considering many people DON'T see gay marriage as a civil rights issue, we need to work on educating people. When they realize that equality is in everyone's best interest, we'll be on our way to winning.
You can call me bigot if you want. Kind of H8ful though. For the record, I don't hate gays at all. I just happen to believe that being gay is not normal. I don't hate the mentally retarded but I also don't this it's normal. Even though they're born that way. I don't hate alcoholics, but it's not normal to be one. All of these groups of people deserve equality but they don't have the right to redefine the meanings of words to make their problem normal.
Just because one has a belief you don't share doesn’t make them a bigot. Oh wait, maybe I can redefine the word “bigot” to mean "a person who is gay that doesn't believe like someone else"
jplumb,
Actually, you are EXACTLY the definition of a "bigot".
From Webster's Unabridged: "A person who regards his own faith and views in matters of religion as unquestionably right, and any belief or opinion opposed to or differing from them as unreasonable or wicked. In an extended sense, a person who is intolerant of opinions which conflict with his own, as in politics or morals; one obstinately and blindly devoted to his own church, party, belief, or opinion."
Well I don't have the Unabridged version, but the online version is a bit different than yours. (I'll let those who read this look it up for themselves). This basically means the definition you are using has most likely been altered to fit your opinion. Just like you wanted to do to the word "marriage" I suspect.
The key defining word in the true meaning of "bigot" is intolerance. I'd say that the No on 8 folks are doing a pretty good job displaying intolerance. I truly believe most people, including myself, have various levels of bigotry by nature, but a belief in something does not always constitute bigotry. Unless your a No on 8 supporter apparently.
dictionary.com - see for yourself
Yeah - quite different like I said.
a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.
One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.
Can you read yet?
jplumb, just out of curiousity what is your definition of "normal"?
conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.
Yes I know what the citionary's definition in jplumb, but what is yours?
Because isn't mental retardation "natural"? And if mental retardation is "natural" because it's a born trait, and being gay is a born trait, wouldn't that make being gay "natural"? So are "natural" things also "normal"?
Murky waters.
Crimany! Make that "dictionary", not "citionary".
The dictionary definition is also mine. One could go back and forth all day long and split hairs on the meanings of the individual words in the definition. But I'm not going there today. Kind of like it depends on what the meaning if "is" is.
Basically, I don't believe being gay is normal for humans. You don't have to accept it if you don't want to. I'm completely open to any arguments that might change my mind, but I haven't seen anything that has credibility. I understand there are a lot of efforts to prove normality and I've seen all the general arguments and supposed evidence, but I don't see them holding water yet.
And if it really matters, I don't even believe hetros are born that way either. Both identities are learned. Just like I could teach a kid that the color blue is really the color red. At some point the kid would get really confused when everyone else thinks differently. The fact is that the color blue is still blue not red. If enough people wanted to change the color red to blue there’d be a whole community to support it. It still wouldn’t change the fact though. I'd go on with the analogy but you know where I'm going with it.
Actually, I don't think we know where you're going. I'm aghast that you think that your opinion - that the (murky) definition of a word should stay that way, should be given the same respect as EQUAL RIGHTS FOR HUMAN BEINGS. You can pick one - personally, as the human beings have feels, and words don't, that's what I'm going with.
I understand you are trying to define "deviancy" in relation to normality, but give it a rest. Yes, the scientific definition of deviant is a trait not shared by the majority. So?
By the way, not all gays would see homosexuality as a "problem." It IS a problem, but only due to discrimination from people such as you. It's not an inherent "problem."
The changing of meaning of words over time with a changing culture is very common. Because some dictionaries define a word a certain way doesn't mean it is set in stone for all time this is the meaning of the word. Words are what we make them to be. One of the reasons why fundamentalist interpretation of things like ancient texts such as the Bible, is inheriently flawed.
I'm not saying we go around shifting words however we want, that doesn't work, it has to hold enough common meaning between many others collectively for the word to take on new or changing elements to it's definition. So just arguing against the evolutionary change of a word for just the sake of keeping it stagnant, is not a sufficient argument to keep it the same. Some words hold their meanings longer or better then others, but language does not exist separate of cultural influences and changes. Even words that are fairly literal can take on new meanings as people begin to use them in alternative ways.
"Basically, I don't believe being gay is normal for humans" -jplumb
This gets in to really fuzzy territory, because what is normal is highly subjective and dependent on context. If you are a white person in an all Hispanic festival, are you normal? What about when you go to your job that is 90% Caucasian, are you normal then, but now are other races not?
Homosexuals make up a relatively small portion of the population, but have always existed, and homosexuality has been found in segments of populations of other species as well. Since they exist and share the same wants and needs as everyone else, apart from the gender of their mate, I do not see why they should not be granted the same rights as everyone else.
"And if it really matters, I don't even believe hetros are born that way either. Both identities are learned. "
Really now, what study supports this claim? There is cultural conditioning, but it is the inter working of biological drive and societal pressures that shape our behavior. Nature versus nurture is a really complicated and ongoing issue constantly in debate within various fields of science. This is not such a simple and settled issue as you seem to make it sound.
woah, I guess this will be one of the most commented articles of the week.
Most of these places I wouldn't go to anyways, except maybe corner bakery, so I wouldn't be technically boycotting.
There is one restaurant that I do boycott, and I'm sure after you all read what I'm about to say, you will too.
In Los Feliz, there is a restaurant called Palermo's. It is run by (decided not to print name) family. I went to high school w/the eldest son. All through HS, me and our other close friend suspected he was gay, we never gave him any grief about it (we went to all boys school where it was "normal" for people to gaybash non-gay people) - and we figured if he wanted to come out, he would eventually. He finally did - after about 7 years of being friends. It was shortly after his gay uncle(who his father despised) passed away, he came out, out of respect for his uncle.
Now if anyone knows this place, the majority of Palermo's customers are in fact gay and lesbian. The father/Owner - hates gays and lesbians - so much so - he disowned his own son when the son officially came out. His father had allowed him to work as the manager, but belittled and berated him everyday- sometimes in front of customers and would say things such as "you are no son of mine" and would constantly say homophobic remarks (never in front of customers of course). He is just about the worst human being I've ever met. When I saw this firsthand, I stopped going there and encouraged the son to quit and move out (which he eventually did), as that is not a healthy environment. The rest of his family (mom, bro,sis) are supportive, but not the father.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Do you sense that the owner (who talks to every single person that walks in) is homophobic?
Unfortunately, I don't think anyone knows how much he despises the gay community, but if any of these restaurants have people like the father - then yes, anybody with a heart should boycott those restaurants.
If you are socially aware you shouldn't be eating at Burger King (or any of these other restaurants really.
If you voted yes on Proposition 8 you are a bigot. It's not really debatable. A closed-minded bigot.
It seems like the gay community is mad at the whole world. Blaming the Mormon Church, the Catholic Church, the Protestant Evangelicals, (Muslims were not mentioned, but they are also for Prop *), the Blacks who votes 70% for traditional marriage, the Latinos, the older generation, the business owners who donated funds to Yes on 8. Must be real frustrating to fight almost everybody, especially after the election is already over. Who will be your next target? All of this anger is not gaining the gay community any sympathy. I believe that it is only confirming and streaghtening the already low opinions that many think of the gay community to begin with. Why do I want to feel sorry for someone who calls me hateful and a "bigot", calls my faith "fairy tales", and intimidates and punishes people for donating by publishing the names of donors who freely particpated in the American political process? I did not contribute to the Yes on 8 campaign, but if there is another prop in 2010, I will donate to the traditional marriage side just becuase of the hate that I have seen from the gay community after prop 8.
What is happening here is no different than what the pro prop 8 committee threatened, in their mafioso tactics, that they would publish the names of all the businesses that contributed to the NO campaign unless they contributed an equal amount tto the yes campaign. They lied through this whole thing and did what the republican committee did for 8 years and that is put out fear and lies to get Bush elected.
jplumb, I see you're trying to define normal in the context of deviance from the norm. More humans are born female than male, and more humans are born Chinese than any other ethnicity. Unless you're a Chinese woman, don't you then qualify as abnormal, and not deserve certain rights?
HC,
You completely mixed up what NO on 8 and YES on 8 mean!
I wonder how many voters did the same.
sbsteve11 -
You're right, I totally mixed them up in my post. How embarassing, especially after I mocked a friend of mine for doing the exact same thing on Facebook.
I'm confident I did not mix them up in the polls because I marked all my answers on my ballot beforehand. But I do wonder if voters were confused....which is what my friend said when I mocked her for mixing it up.
The thing is that you'll have to vote YES on the next initiative, which will be to overturn the ban. It's not like Proposition 4 (the teenage abortion ban), which most folks just consistently vote NO on. There's going to be more voter confusion on this yet.
Why didn't all these Pro Prop 8 owners and managers hang banners to proclaim their tireless defense of Straights-only marriage? Because they couldn't do so and hope to keep counting gay dollars. They are absolute swine and their cowardice is a compelling reason to never ever patronize them, in and of itself. But now that their scheming attempts at discrete backstabbing has blown up in their faces, it's payback time. Boycott any Webb Automotive franchise as well. These fools chose God over mammon so let them have their hateful God. Leave mammon to the cool kids.
wait, we need to include Morton's, TGI FRIDAYS, The Cheese Cake Factory, and another list to include Disneyland, Universal Studios, UCLA and USC Medical, Cedar Sinai, and The May Co. The list is growing.