Target's $150,000 Donation To Fund Anti-Gay Politics

by Michael A. Jones July 25, 2010 04:14 AM (PT)

Target, practically everyone's favorite discount retail store, is headquartered in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes. But along with precious bodies of water, Minnesota is home to some pretty rabid anti-gay politicians and groups. Among them include Tom Emmer. And Target, it seems, is apparently filling his campaign coffers with nearly $150,000.

Follow the money. At least, that's the message delivered by an article at sfist.com by Matt Baume, who tracks $150,000 from Target's coffers, through a political action committee (PAC) known as Minnesota Forward, all the way to Tom Emmer, who himself supports a Christian rock band in Minnesota that travels around the state saying that it's moral and righteous for religious people to kill gays and lesbians.

For those into algebra, it looks a little like this: Target + Minnesota Forward + Tom Emmer = Support for a rather dangerous and radical political philosophy that diminishes LGBT people to pests that should be murdered. And Target is cool with this?

Tom Emmer has made it pretty clear where he stands on the issue of LGBT rights.

"I believe marriage is the union between one man and one woman," Emmer says on his Web site. "As a legislator, I have consistently supported the constitutional marriage amendment that protects traditional marriage."

OK, perhaps you're saying that while it's not great that Emmer is so anti- marriage equality, he's no different than many within American politics. Perhaps that's true. But it's Emmer's affiliation with a Christian right rock band, You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, that should not only have Target's head spinning, but all of ours, too.

You Can Run But You Cannot Hide is fronted by a man named Bradlee Dean. And Tom Emmer is a buddy-buddy with Dean and his band. "These are nice people," Emmer said of the band, who have appeared at various Minnesota GOP functions, from statewide conventions to political candidate soirées.

But here's what Bradlee Dean has said about LGBT people.

"Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America. This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination," Dean previously said.

And there's more. "[Homosexuals] play the victim when they are, in fact, the predator. On average, they molest 117 people before they’re found out. How many kids have been destroyed, how many adults have been destroyed because of crimes against nature?" Yup, that's another Dean comment.

Meanwhile, Emmer continues to call these folks 'nice.' Talk about a pretty effed up definition of 'nice.'

So why wouldn't Target take better care to make sure their money wasn't going to someone who absolutely abhors LGBT equality, and hangs around people who believes it's sweet for gay people to be slaughtered? After all, Target does have a number of gay-friendly policies, including domestic partner benefits. And it remains quite popular among the LGBT retail crowd.

But is their support from the gay community deserved? Especially if they're dropping six figures down on candidates working hard to keep LGBT people second class citizens?