Boycott Utah? Stay out of Marriott?
Steam is beginning to pick up for a way to punish those who sent millions of dollars into California to push Proposition 8.
UPDATE: Our friend Brent Andrus, who is a lead donor to Prop 8, in fact runs a series of hotels, including (big surprise here), Courtyard Marriott, Fairfield Inn Marriott, Residence Inn Marriott, and Spring Hill Suites Marriott. Never, ever stay at a Marriott again. It’s clear that what people have been whispering about Marriott for years is true. It’s not just some independent company. It’s part and parcel of the Mormon Church and their bigoted agenda.
Aravosis wants to know why the Sundance Film Festival is still being held in Utah.
As Melina Mercouri taught us years ago about Greece and the Generals, there is a time to boycott and a time to engage and encourage. It strikes me that a wide ranging boycott, well directed and articulated, would be well understood at this time. Those with the energy and organizational skills to undertake this should look at the donors to anti gay marriage propositions in Florida and Arizona, too.
In any event, I’ll be tearing up my Marriott rewards card. What do you think?
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November 7th, 2008 @ 7:15 am
I completely understand and appreciate your point, and only wanted to offer a few points by way of a friendly dialog. While I could not more strongly agree with the idea of moving Sundance, I wanted to make you aware of several key points about Marriott - a company I’ve worked for for over ten years. I am a concierge at the Marriott Marquis in NYC and am gay. Marriott is actually (as a company) quite progressive on lgbt issues. Our hotel has recently begun offering a special romance package for our community and advertising it in Out magazine. We plan on having a hotel float in this year’s gay pride parade.
And most importantly (to me at least) my partner of 7 years, Michael, gets the same high quality health insurance that I receive - at no cost to either of us - as part of Marriott’s domestic partner coverage. I wear a combo American and rainbow flag pin at work and don’t feel conflicted about it.
I want full marriage rights and equality as much as anyone. I also think what the Mormon church did in California was abhorrent and part and parcel of their creepy homophobic obsession. I can say from the ‘inside’ however, there is a disconnect between the religion of the founder and his corporation. People will have to make up their own minds about this, of course, I just wanted to add a bit to the discussion.
- Mark Thompson nymarriott@gmail.com
(originally posted on http://iamatvjunkie.typepad.com)
November 7th, 2008 @ 3:30 pm
There may be talk of boycotting Utah but there is also talks of witholding Utah water and electricity from California.
November 7th, 2008 @ 9:26 pm
And while your at it, please send a letter to the IRS asking for an investigation into the Mormon churches sec 501(c)(3) tax exempt status and I.R.C. sec 170(c)(3) tax deductible status.
501(c)(3)’s are not to be used for political purposes. If they want to do issue advocacy they need to form a 501(c)(4) or 527.
What’s most disgusting is that the millions of dollars given by these hate mongers vis a ve the Mormon church is tax deductible. Any donations to the ballot measure committee were NOT deductible, but many churches & temples raised thousands of dollars from member’s contributions and then contributed that money to the committee. So all of the bigots who were inspired to give money to their church so the church could donate to the committee will be able to deduct ever dollar of that contribution from their year-end tax returns.
THAT is truly disgusting and it abuses tax law & the FPPC’s campaign finance law.
If I had more time I’d do it myself. I hope someone will!
November 8th, 2008 @ 6:06 pm
People should have been boycotting Marriott for some time now. They people who run Marriott and many of their major shareholders give money to the Mormon Church, which is viciously racist, sexist, homophobic, and bigoted against atheists.
November 11th, 2008 @ 8:40 am
And while you’re at it, please boycott all the coal fired electricity that is generated in Delta, Utah at IPSC by all those Mormon Devils. All that electricity is sent down the line to keep the lights on in Los Angeles. Betcha didn’t know that! Be careful what you wish for - you may be protesting in the dark!!
November 11th, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
Do your research, folks. http://www.blogs.marriott.com/default.asp?item=2284808
November 12th, 2008 @ 6:21 pm
While I understand Marriott wants gay dollars, and treats gay employees fairly, there is no denying our gay dollars are going to LDS church members that used that money against us.
Boycott Mormon businesses and send a clear message we will not be denied equal rights. There are consequences to their actions.
November 13th, 2008 @ 1:28 pm
History Lesson -
‘Surprisingly, at the end of 1846 most of the American settlers in California were Mormons. In fact, by 1847 there were over 500 members in California, and San Francisco was “for a time very largely a ‘Mormon town.’ Out of a history book - Ironic!
November 15th, 2008 @ 2:37 pm
Money talks. It talks that Marriott family tithes 10% of their annual income to LDS church to push their hateful agenda and take away rights of Americans in states where LDS members may not even live.
Money also talks when those Americans that have a problem with the LDS hate agenda stop spending their dollars at companies like Marriott. That’s the only way the haters from Utah will stop their hate agenda, when the till stops flowing from Bill Marriott & family b/c America shut off the till to Bill Marriott & Company.
November 16th, 2008 @ 5:01 pm
When it comes to gay issues, Marriott is conveniently a Baltimore-based hotel chain that is welcoming and accepting of all travelers. When it comes to Mormon issues, Marriott is conveniently a company founded and led by members of the LDS church and fully supportive of church doctrine (hence the inclusion of the Book of Mormon in hotel rooms and the cute little references to Mormon doctrine that can be found in Marriott’s literature).
Marriott can’t play it both ways. Through his website posting, Bill Marriott is attempting to salvage Marriott’s reputation with a PR diversion.
As Margaret Thatcher once said, “Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides”. Marriott can’t continue to play both sides off each other. Since Marriott won’t take a solid stand in favor of Human Rights, I’m boycotting. I just don’t want any of my money supporting Hate.
November 17th, 2008 @ 6:54 am
I just read Bill Marriott’s letter on the Marriott Blog. As an employee, I was somewhat happy that he addressed this issue about Prop 8, and that it was not consistant with Marriott’s STATED policy, BUT, he also said that he separates his business from his faith, . . . how convenient. He has one set of standards which is most advantageous for business, and a different set of standards that keeps him in the good graces of his Church. To have INTEGRITY means the absence of Double Standards.
If he TRULY lived “The Golden Rule,” he would be a member of a faith that practiced it, . . . say like the Quakers, Unity Church, Universal Unitarians, etc.
Personally, I do not feel good about working for Marriott and actively seeking a new job. Not only because of Prop 8, but the FACT that what Corporate says and the reality in the large Marriott where I work, is NOT the same. Associates are not treated with equal respect and consideration, for other reasons other that “gay.”
November 17th, 2008 @ 11:15 am
Simple test for the Marriott corporation: issue a formal statement condemning the unequal civil rights presented in Proposition 8.
Anything less merely legitimizes complaints of duplicity.