Target CEO Defends LGBT Record In Face Of $150K Donation To Anti-Gay Group

Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel has sent a letter to all employees defending the company's track record on LGBT issues. This comes after the revelation that the retail giant had donated $150K to a Minnesota group that funds the campaign of a candidate with ties to an anti-gay Christian rock band. The band and its leader openly call for the executions of homosexuals. Steinhafel's letter reads, in part:

As you know, Target has a history of supporting organizations and candidates, on both sides of the aisle, who seek to advance policies aligned with our business objectives, such as job creation and economic growth. MN Forward is focused specifically on those issues and is committed to supporting candidates from any party who will work to improve the state's job climate. However, it is also important to note that we rarely endorse all advocated positions of the organizations or candidates we support, and we do not have a political or social agenda. 

In the context of this contribution, some of you have raised questions regarding our commitment to diversity, and more specifically, the GLBT community. Let me be very clear, Target’s support of the GLBT community is unwavering, and inclusiveness remains a core value of our company.

The letter goes on to cite Target's 100% rating on HRC's Corporate Equality Index and the company's support of local Minnesota LGBT and HIV/AIDS events. Calls for a boycott and at least one protest at a Minnestota Target store have already occurred.

(Via - The Awl)