Monday, July 30, 2012

ABC News blogger falls for Target's gay marketing, says company supports marriage equality. (It doesn't.)

Tom Webb, of the St. Paul Pioneer Press saw through Target's PR and dug deeper (via JoeMyGod):
Does this mean Target Corp. is ready to make a commitment, too? Is Minnesota's most prominent corporation taking a public stand supporting gay marriage -- and opposing the Minnesota marriage amendment, which is coming to a vote in November?
     Nope.
     Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder confirmed Friday, July 27, that Target hasn't changed its neutral stance on the amendment, which would add existing state law to the Minnesota constitution stating that marriage is legal only between one man and one woman. "We recognize that there is a broad range of strongly held views on the MN Marriage amendment," Synder said in a statement. "Consistent with our longstanding support of civic engagement, we strongly encourage our team members to exercise their right to vote in November."
     Target's two-grooms ad drew a lot of online chatter this week, though it was originally unveiled in April. Snyder wouldn't say precisely where it was running, except that it was "appearing outside of Target's owned channels."
     Snyder said in a statement, "The Target Wedding Registry advertising campaign is designed to reach all guests and represent the diversity of communities we serve. At the heart of our company are core values which include Target's long-standing commitment to create an environment where all of our team members and guests feel welcome, valued and respected. We believe our current marketing is consistent with this value."
Amy Bingham, in a blog post hosted by ABC News, contrasted Target's position with that of Chick-fil-A and fell for Target's dissembly, hook, line and sinker:
At the national level, Target is broadcasting its support for equal marriage rights with a wedding registry ad featuring two smiling men dressed in suits and bow ties holding hands and touching foreheads. “Be Yourself, Together,” is printed in bold red lettering across the center of the advertisement, which encourages couples to build a registry that is “as unique as the two of you.”
     Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder said in a statement that the ad is part of Target’s broader commitment to “diversity and inclusion.”
     “At the heart of our company are core values which include Target’s long-standing commitment to create an environment where all of our team members and guests feel welcome, valued and respected,” Snyder said. “We believe our current marketing is consistent with this value.”

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