Life

5 organizations that ran in trouble with the LGBT community

Boy Scouts of America may not be a surprise… but Urban Outfitters?

Mike Stewart/AP Photo

1. Urban Outfitters
Though this retailer markets itself to hipster 20-somethings, president and founder Richard Haynes is an ardent conservative. He’s also the owner of Anthropologie and Free People, but Haynes manages to find the time to donate thousands to Rick Santorum’s campaign. He’s also reportedly against gay marriage, and pro-gay tees have disappeared from UO shelves. In the spring, Urban Outfitters got in trouble over a trans-phobic card they were selling, which was eventually pulled from stores. Ironically enough, the anti-gay group One Million Moms targeted UO for a catalog that featured a lesbian kiss.

2. Walmart
Walmart’s conservative leanings are well-documented, but the company has also donated thousands of dollars to anti-gay groups. They also used to sell an anti-gay children’s book called Chased by an Elephant, the Gospel Truth about Today’s Stampeding Sexuality.

3. Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts recently reconfirmed their policy on not allowing gay men and boys from joining or being leaders. A special committee of Scout executives and volunteers formed in 2010 decided unanimously that the anti-gay policy was best. The Scout is one of the largest youth groups in the U.S., with more than 2 million members. Still, not all the Scouts are happy about it: after a gay Eagle Scout was fired, 10 other members quit in protest. Other Scouts have been returning their medals because of the policy. There’s a small loophole to the policy, of course: you won’t be denied membership if you keep your homosexuality under wraps.

4. Salvation Army
Although it’s a charitable organization, the Salvation Army has a history of being anti-gay. In 2001, the Salvation Army worked with the Bush administration to make it easier for government-funded religious groups to discriminate against hiring gays. Most recently, an Australian Salvation Army Major said that gays “deserve to die” for their homosexuality.

5. Chick-Fil-A
Then, of course, there’s Chick-Fil-A, the company whose trouble with the gay community got everyone from drag queens to politicians to Muppets involved. Who knew Kermit was all about equal rights? Across the country, Chick-Fil-A is being protested for their anti-gay stance, though Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum are vocal supporters.

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