News
2004-10-14
Dale Duncan
Report on Outcome
Dale Duncan
The “Boycott For Equality” took place on Friday, October 8th, 2004. 250
businesses across the United States participated by either closing their
doors or by withholding their deposits on that day. In St. Louis,
hundreds of people took part in a picnic honoring the Boycott less than a
mile from the Presidential Debates. We have received hundreds of emails
from people who heard about our efforts on CNN on the day of the Boycott.
We estimate that 100,000 LGBT’s and straight allies from across the United
States took part in the dropout by supporting at least one of the four
components of our efforts. In the first eight days of October, we
received 603,656 hits on our website. In total, about 2 million people
visited our website to learn about the dropout. We are thrilled that so
many people took part in the event, made the sacrifice and closed their
businesses that day. We are happy that people made their voices heard by
sending their ATM receipts to President Bush and other political leaders
with “gay money” or “straight ally money” written on them. Everyone who
participated on 10/8 sent a message to the people in their community that
they are not second-class citizens and that they deserve job
non-discrimination and marriage rights.
One of the criticisms of our event was that it would only hurt gay
businesses. After careful consideration, we felt that concern needed to be
addressed. We dealt with that issue by adding an $80 ATM withdrawal
component. The $80 symbolized the $1.4 Billion that LGBT’s contribute to
the economy daily (Witeck-Combs). If all 17 million LGBT’s in this
country withdrew $80 on that day, it would total $1.4 Billion. We asked
people to consider spending the $80 they withdrew on 10/8 at an LGBT
friendly business on 10/9. This would rectify the problem of “hurting gay
business” and would give people yet another way to participate in our
efforts to make our voices heard.
Our biggest concern in looking back at the event is the excuses we heard
from business owners who refused to participate. We should have had 2500
business closings, not 250. Those business owners who knew about the
dropout and didn’t participate clearly are unable to see the big picture.
They are unwilling to make the short-term sacrifice that could impact many
important policies that will help LGBT businesses in the long-term. They
had an opportunity to take a stand and send a powerful statement to
America, and too many of them did not do it.
Let me remind those business owners who chose not to participate of a few
things that are hurting their businesses every single day:
1) In America, LGBT’s are forced to pay inheritance taxes on their
spouse’s estate when they die because our relationships do not receive the
same benefits and responsibilities of marriage. How many more people have
to choose between selling their home and closing their business because
they cannot afford to pay that inheritance tax before more people fight
back?
2) My partner and I have been together for 10 years. If he dies before I
do, I could surely use that extra $1,600 per month in survivor benefits
that I would get at age 62 if we were married. I will have a lot less
money to spend at those gay businesses that couldn’t afford to close on
10/8.
3) How many people have faced catastrophic health care expenses when their
unemployed, uninsured partner was diagnosed with a serious illness? If
our relationships were honored the same as marriage, we would have more
money to spend at that neighborhood gay-owned furniture store, and we
could face that health crisis together with a lot less stress.
4) Recently, I got a letter from a person in Mississippi who was fired
because he was gay. In 36 states, that is legal. I guess he won’t be
buying any news clothes or making trips to the neighborhood bar for a
while.
Can’t you see? We are ALREADY hurting.
Shawn and Michael own a business called Neighborhood Traders, a furniture
store in East Atlanta. They see the big picture. They lost $2000 by
closing their doors on 10/8. That could not have been easy for them.
Friday’s are the third busiest day of the week for their business.
However, they are not interested in continuing to accept second-class
citizenship in this country. So they took a stand.
Meanwhile, they made the best of the situation. They sought publicity for
the boycott in our newspaper, The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Their
storefront was on the front page of the Business section. The local news
stations came by and covered their story as well.
That is a lot of free publicity.
That is not the reason they participated, but it is definitely a fringe
benefit that will hopefully help their business in the long-term.
Just imagine if more businesses across America had seen the enormous
opportunity before them on 10/8 rather than seeing the obstacles.
Businesses should have been leading the way. They could easily have
generated enormous press for themselves and for the boycott had more of
them chosen to close their doors or delay making their deposits.
Every boycott event requires a temporary sacrifice for a long-term gain.
I imagine that it was quite inconvenient for the African Americans who
needed to ride those buses to work during the bus boycotts. But, because
they stuck together, they changed things for African Americans all over
this country.
Can we really put a price tag on civil liberties?
When my partner and I decided to take pro-active measures in the fight for
our civil liberties, we didn’t care if we were the only two who
participated on 10/8. We just wanted to do SOMETHING rather than sit
around and hope somebody else would do it for us. As we, here at Boycott
For Equality, consider our next plan of action, I hope that many more
people will put plans into action to make our voices heard.
When people discuss our issues, we always win.
Dale Duncan
Boycott For Equality
www.boycottforequality.org
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