I got a recent email from Minnesotans United for All Families talking about the broad coalition
they have formed to defeat the marriage amendment. This coalition
includes everyone from General Mills to the Minneapolis School Board and
all kinds of businesses, churches, and non-profits. The other side may
have their allies, but it’s clear that many are fighting to prevent
discrimination from being written into Minnesota’s constitution.
Reading that email made me think about a New York Times article
I saw about the North Carolina vote to ban gay marriage and about the
sole Fortune 500 company that fought against the ban. The New York Times
reported that Replacements Limited,
which sells new and used dinnerware online, “lobbied legislators,
contributed money to causes supporting gay marriage, rented a billboard
along the interstate near its headquarters, and sold T-shirts at its
showroom.”
Replacements Limited faced backlash and loss of business, receiving
angry letters and emails from people canceling their business with the
company. I think what strikes me about this is the commitment to
stand for what you think is right regardless of the financial
consequences. Bob Page, the company owner told the New York Times, “I’m
always concerned I will hurt our business. I know we have lost business.
But I don’t have a board or shareholders I have to answer to. My life
is not about money.”
The vote is over in North Carolina
and the voters chose to amend the constitution to ban gay marriage. But
Replacements Limited took a stand against the amendment when other
large businesses deemed it too risky. I wanted to write this blog
because I think about the stand Replacements Limited took and I want
them to succeed because of it. I want there to be an evident reward for
standing up and doing the right thing instead of the easy thing, staying
silent.
I don’t know if any of you are in the market for some used or new dinnerware, but if you are, buy from Replacements Limited.
They chose to fight the good fight regardless of it being popular or
profitable and I want them to see just how many people are with them on
the right side of the issue.
On that same note, support General Mills. Marriage Amendment supporters have been organizing a boycott of their products and it’s important to let General Mills know that the stand they took is no small thing.