Home Depot Confirms Hacking

Home Depot yesterday confirmed that millions of its customers' credit cards may have been accessed by hackers.

The hack “could potentially impact any customer that has used their payment card at our U.S. and Canadian stores, from April forward,” Home Depot said in a statement, adding that shoppers online or at stores locations in Mexico do not appear to have been affected. The firm joins the ranks of other major stores, like Target and others, that have been the victims of successful, large-scale cyberattacks. Home Depot disclosed it was looking into reports of “unusual activity” on Sept. 2 and has offered free identity-theft protection and credit-monitoring services to anyone who shopped at a Home Depot store during the months in question. “We apologize for the frustration and anxiety this causes our customers,” Home Depot said.

The company says it plans to install "chip-enabled checkout terminals" at all stores by the end of the year.

Report: Credit Card Hack At Home Depot

Multiple banks are reporting that hackers have accessed the credit cards of millions of Home Depot customers.

The credit card information was offered for sale Tuesday on an underground site that traffics in stolen financial information, journalist Brian Krebs reported on his blog. The breach could have begun in late April or early May of this year, Krebs reported. If that is true, this incident could dwarf the Target breach, in which 40 million credit and debit accounts were compromised over a three-week period. "This latest batch of cards is for sale from the same underground store that sold cards from P.F. Chang's and Target," said Trey Ford, a security strategist at Rapid7, a Boston-based computer security company. Home Depot spokeswoman Paula Drake said she could only "confirm that we're looking into some unusual activity, and we are working with our banking partners and law enforcement to investigate." The data put up for sale were labeled "American Sanctions."

Target's CEO resigned in May after their data breach.

TEXAS: Gun Nuts Invade Home Depot

After being tossed out of Chili's and Sonic last weekend, "open carry" gun nuts are invading a Fort Worth-area Home Depot today. The action has spawned the #GrillsNotGuns hashtag on Twitter, where customers are vowing to boycott the chain unless it bans guns in its stores.

Betty Who Meets The Home Depot Guys

Via press release from VH1:

Yesterday on VH1’s “Big Morning Buzz Live with Carrie Keagan,” The Home Depot proposal couple, Dustin & Spencer stopped by to tell the story behind their viral video that’s already received over 10 million views on YouTube! Betty Who, whose song “Somebody Loves You” was the music used in the flash mob proposal, was also in studio to perform the catchy tune for her first ever TV performance. The Australian singer then got a fun surprise when she met Dustin and Spencer for the first time on camera. After the video went viral Betty Who was signed to RCA Records, so it was a special moment.

UPDATE: The clip is auto-playing for a few readers, so I've removed it. View it here.

Ellen Meets Home Depot Proposal Guys

Their clip now has 9.4 million views.

Home Depot Gay Proposal Flash Mob

Clip description:

Dustin arrived at the Home Depot in Salt Lake City thinking he was there to help his roommate pick out some lighting for a party. When he was taken to the lumber aisle, what he found waiting for him was a mob of friends and family as his marriage proposal unfolded to the song, "Somebody Loves You" by Betty Who. Spencer and Dustin would like to thank all of our amazing family and friends for their continued love and support!

Points for choosing gay-friendly Home Depot, of course.

RELATED: I should note that this was sent to me by Betty Who's publicist. However, the track was first published to YouTube back in January, so the proposal likely isn't a veiled commercial.

Freep This AFA Poll

The right answer is "ignore them." (Tipped by JMG reader Alan)

AFA Claims Victory Over Home Depot

"I'm glad to report to you that we are suspending the boycott of Home Depot. After monitoring the company for several months, AFA is satisfied the company has withdrawn its major financial contributions to gay activist groups and events. I truly believe this is a direct result of your willingness to become involved. In fact, more than 750,000 people signed the Boycott Home Depot Pledge. Although Home Depot has made changes, we will continue to monitor their behavior. We suspect Home Depot will publicly deny having made changes, but their actions speak louder than words. Your AFA will continue to challenge major U.S. companies to remain neutral in the culture wars rather than to use their resources to promote anti-family issues. Thank you for standing with us. Our efforts are making a difference!" - American Family Association president Tim Wildmon, claiming victory despite the fact that Home Depot's stock value has more than tripled since the start of their boycott and that they'll "publicly deny" today's claim. I'll reach out to the company today and ask about this.

UPDATE: Zack Ford at Think Progress beat me to it and already has a statement from Home Depot:

"We haven’t made any changes to our policies for inclusion and respect of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation. We have not directed our associates to discontinue participation in Pride or other community events, and have no intention of doing so."

I've got a call in to Home Depot's media liaison and will update this post again if I get a response.

UPDATE II: I just got a call from Home Depot's communications director, who didn't have much more to offer than the above statement, but he was very friendly and direct in confirming what was said to Think Progress. I thanked him for company's continuing support of our community.

Esurance: $100K For LGBT Charities

Yesterday Esurance announced a $100,000 giveaway to "three worthy charities" which will get a percentage of the donation based on the votes made on the company's Facebook page.  Right on cue, Bryan Fischer tweeted out a call for a boycott. Expect Esurance's stock value to triple shortly, a la Home Depot.

Jerry Falwell Jr: Boycotts Don't Work

"Boycotts are ineffective and only cost Christian organizations time and money. They are futile and ineffective. Boycotting is not how Jesus did business. He was a carpenter and routinely mingled with known sinners." - Jerry Falwell Jr, responding to a Christian Post survey of religious leaders on anti-gay boycotts.

Concerned Women head Penny Nance disagrees.

"One of the most notorious victories occurred in 1986, when an American Family Association (AFA) boycott successfully convinced 7-Eleven to ban its distribution of Playboy and Penthouse magazines. In 2008, too, an AFA boycott led to a McDonald's executive stepping down from a homosexual rights association board. We win moral victories, but might not always gain ground in the public arena. But if we abandon the argument, then there will be no light in the darkness."

American Family Association head Donald Wildmon claims that boycotts work, but only if you do them one company at a time. There must not be much internal dialogue with One Million Moms.

"You cannot boycott the world. That is why AFA has generally stuck to one at a time as with Home Depot now," said Wildmon, son of Don Wildmon, who has pioneered many boycotts. "The idea is that if you demonstrate effectiveness with one company, others are going to take notice and listen when you approach them." "A boycott is only after you have exhausted all other means of getting results such as persuasion based on the reasonableness of your request," Wildmon argues.

"With companies, we just ask that they remain neutral in the culture war, not support one side or the other. Home Depot, for instance, has actively participated in homosexual pride parades across the country. For AFA, that crosses the line. We are not so much concerned about a company's internal affairs with their employees. It's when they financially support activism that we have a problem with. For example, giving financial contributions to the Human Rights Campaign or Planned Parenthood."

Home Depot's stock value has almost tripled since the AFA launched their boycott.

AFA: We're Still Boycotting Home Depot

Today's press release from the American Family Association:

The Home Depot just gave $8,500 to the Atlanta chapter of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as a "Silver" sponsor of the Atlanta Gala Dinner and Auction in May.  HRC is the nation's largest and most aggressive gay marriage advocacy group, leading the charge to the Supreme Court against California's constitutional amendment protecting marriage as between one man and one woman.  Customers who shop at Home Depot should know that a portion of their purchase will be used to help push the legalization and promotion of homosexual marriage in America. AFA is promoting a boycott of Home Depot until it agrees to remain neutral in the homosexual culture war.

The boycott launched a couple of years ago and since then Home Depot's stock value has just about tripled.  No wonder the company won't return calls from the AFA!

God Is Going To Punish Home Depot

American Family Association tool Randy Sharp: "There's no question in my mind that [this warning] came directly from God."

AFA's Home Depot Boycott Pledge

The American Family Association has just posted their Home Depot Boycott Pledge to the reader forums at Free Republic. The comments there are as you'd expect.

AFA: Home Depot Played us

The boycott is back on. Heh.

Home Depot To AFA: Get Lost

Daily Finance reports that Home Depot is continuing to ignore the demands of the American Family Association, who wants the DIY giant to pull out of all gay-friendly events.

Home Depot is holding its line on the issue: "Our response on this has been and continues to be that we respect the diversity of all people and maintain an inclusive culture," Home Depot spokesman Steve Holmes said in an email. "This is what [Chairman] Frank [Blake] told the AFA publicly at our annual shareholders meeting earlier this year." Home Depot isn't the only high-profile company the AFA has targeted. It has also tangled with Walt Disney (DIS), Procter & Gamble (PG), and PepsiCo (PEP). The AFA, which brags on its website that it has been on "the frontlines of America's culture war" since 1977, insists that it has nothing against gays. All it wants is for corporate America to remain "neutral" in these same conflicts, according to Sharp. That includes both supporting gay causes and marketing to the LGBT community.

Home Depot has earned your business. Go buy a dishwasher.

AFA Campaigns Against Home Depot

The American Family Association today posted the below montage of gay pride events as part of their ongoing boycott of Home Depot, who are turning the nation's young girls into an army of flannel-draped carpenters. Or something.

AFA Whines More About Home Depot

But first, some volcanoes.

AFA: Home Depot Blew Us Off

The American Family Association is whining that Home Depot executives gave them a "cool" reception when they delivered anti-gay petitions to the company's board of directors.

"We presented to the shareholders and to the chairman and the board of directors over 470,000 signature petitions asking them to remain neutral in the culture war, specifically when it addresses gay marriage and homosexual activist groups," Sharp tells OneNewsNow. The reception was cool, adds the AFA spokesman. Blake thanked AFA for the petitions but again, as in the past, reiterated the company's support for "diversity," which includes same-gender "marriage." Sharp adds: "We're disappointed that The Home Depot continues to close the door and not listen to the millions of customers who are offended that they are engaging in the culture war and taking a position in favor of gay marriage."

Good for Home Depot. Again.

AFA Launches Anti-Gay Phone Campaign To Local Home Depot Store Managers

Via press release:

Home Depot is having its annual shareholder meeting this week. Many shareholders are upset with Home Depot's sponsorship of numerous gay pride events and support for homosexual marriage. Shareholders will be addressing the board of directors personally this week and plan to make sure the board of directors know they need to end the boycott! But...they need YOUR support. Your local store manager is the closest personal contact you can have with the company. They are the "eyes and ears" of the company and can make sure your concerns get to the right people. Today, call your local Home Depot store and ask to speak to the manager. You can find the number to your local store here (click "Store Finder" at top of page) or in your local phone book. Politely let him know you are boycotting his store until the company agrees to remain neutral in the culture wars and stops supporting homosexuality.

Do call your local Home Depot and personally thank the manager for their support of their LGBT customers.

AFA Relaunches Home Depot Boycott

The American Family Association has relaunched their boycott of Home Depot for supporting the dastardly homosexual agenda.

Home Depot's website now states the company's support for "Out and Equal Workplace Advocates," a gay political activist organization heavily promoting legalization of gay marriage and gays in the military, and celebrating activities such as Transgender Remembrance Day. AFA has repeatedly asked The Home Depot to remain neutral in the culture wars, but the company has continued to promote the homosexual agenda. On March 29, AFA invited The Home Depot to meet with AFA to discuss our concerns. They did not respond.

Please consider dropping a line to Home Depot and thanking them for their support.