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Target Apologizes Over Donation to Anti-Gay Candidate, Some Still Angry
Photo by Chris-Gonzales90 via Flickr
Photo by Chris-Gonzales90 via Flickr
Following uproar over a large donation from Target to a anti-gay Minnesota candidate this month, CEO Gregg Steinhafel apologized Thursday to employees. He said the $150,000 donation was meant to be for Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer's business stance, not his anti-gay one.
"While I firmly believe that a business climate conducive to growth is critical to our future, I realize our decision affected many of you in a way I did not anticipate, and for that I am genuinely sorry," Steinhafel wrote, according to the Associated Press.
But that hasn't satisfied everyone, including West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman."... despite your claim that you were supporting a pro-business candidate, opposition to equality for any group in our society is ultimately anti-business," he wrote in a letter. Heilman suggested Target adopt a review policy on donations, which Steinhafel said will happen.
MoveOn.org on Friday staged protests outside Target stores on Friday and say they have a petition signed by 250,000 people who are boycotting the retailer, reported CNN. They believe Target, which is one of the first companies to take advantage of a recent Supreme Court ruling, is trying to buy the election.
Target's donation was made to MN Forward, which is airing ads for Emmer, who says his campaign is about job creation.
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