Oh! Important!
A new Atlanta-based gay rights group wants the LGBT community to stop shopping for a day and call in sick to work on Oct. 8.
Boycott for Equality is calling for the first-ever nationwide economic boycott to remind U.S. leaders that gay people make a large contribution to the U.S. economy, but they don't get the same legal rights and protections as their straight counterparts.
The group's founder, Dale Duncan, said he and his partner of 10 years were so shocked by President George W. Bush's support of an amendement to the United States Constitution that prohibits gay couples from getting married, that they had to do something.
"Time's up on this issue," said Duncan, who has been working on contacting leaders in the community to support the boycott in between his full-time work. "We don't have enough time left to just throw money at the problem. We want to do something like this that would be dramatic."
If the U.S. economy did lose the revenue from payroll, sales and income taxes paid out of the LGBT community's pockets on just one day, it would send a strong message. Gay people spend on average about $1.4 billion a day -- that's about $500 billion a year, according to estimates put together by Witeck-Combs Communications, a public relations firm that specializes in the gay market.
Along with the walkout, Duncan said he also wants LGBT people to stop buying things and to put down their cell phones.
Several LGBT-supportive organizations like Dontamend.com, Wyoming Equality and even comedian Margaret Cho have listed links to the boycott Web site on their own home pages.
But some business owners say a total boycott might be tough to take, particularly for gay-owned estabilshments. Philip Rafshoon, the owner of Atlanta's Outwrite Bookstore, said he respects the sentiment of the protest, but it would be incredibly hard on gay-oriented businesses like his.
"If all of my gay employees called in sick, we'd be out of business that day," said Rafshoon. "I think there should be limits to this kind of protest. Maybe on that day people involved in the boycott could make an exception and shop at a gay-owned business -- it certainly would be another great way to show their community support."
Duncan, who has relied mostly on word of mouth to encourage the boycott, said if it doesn't work this year Boycott for Equality will try again the next.
"I know some people are afraid to be the first to do this, but think about it -- an economic boycott removes the religion and the emotion from this issue. You don't even have to be out to call in sick that day," he said. "And frankly, it doesn't matter what your political background is -- Republicans, Democrats, independents -- they all understand the power of money. If enough people join in this boycott, the leaders will see that they can't leave us out of the equation."
Even if you dont happen to be LGBT, still support this boycott, it's just a day!
October 8th!