Shimmin: Is boycotting Cinemark a step toward equality? (You might get angry...)

[WillParkinson]

...or you might not. I'm eager to hear what DU has to say.

By Bob Shimmin, Cinemark Theatres
11.20.2008 12:33pm EST
Last week, I watched Keith Olbermann’s commentary on his MSNBC show, Countdown, as he proclaimed:

“I don’t have a personal investment in this: I’m not gay, I had to strain to think of one member of even my very extended family who is, I have no personal stories of close friends or colleagues fighting the prejudice that still pervades their lives.

“And yet to me this vote is horrible. Because this isn’t about yelling, and this isn’t about politics. This is about the human heart, and if that sounds corny, so be it.”

Unlike Keith Olbermann, my experiences since the California vote against gay marriage have been extremely personal.

As a gay man and as a vice president at Cinemark Theatres (whose CEO, Alan Stock, has been singled out in blogs for his $9,999 pro-Prop 8 donation), this controversy has weighed heavily on me.

http://www.365gay.com/opinion/shimmin-is-boycotting-cinemark-a-step-toward-equality/

[closeupready]

1. Then why the hell didn't Stock issue a statement explaining his donation?

I don't care about whether or not they treat their own employees well. What about other organizations that don't? What message does his donation send? Prop. 8 has harmed gays, lesbians and their families, and his donation helped that happen.

I won't get into the obvious issue that Shimmin has with regard to conflict of interest in staking out this position, but while he makes some good points, I think the complaint with Stock's donation really is a valid complaint, and until he explains it, I can see good arguments for ALL sides.

editing to add, of course I care that they treat their employees well, rather, this has never been about how they treat their own employees - if he says they do, I'm sure they do, and should be applauded for what they have done. This is now and has always been about Stock's donation, nothing more, nothing less.

[WillParkinson]

4. Actually...

Read some of the comments on the page. Tells a slightly different story of why Cinemark treats its employees well.

[closeupready]

6. Comments are even better than the opinion piece, lol.

I agree with almost every single commenter.

[bluedawg12]

8. One comment: Alan Stock has done nothing to make amends

other than send the house gay out to make a plea for our money.

It won't change PHate8 now, but how about if Alan Stock sent twice the money...say $20,000 to Lambda?

[indigo11153]

9. Spam

Looks like that site is getting spammed to me.

[yardwork]

16. What statement could explain away such a donation? It speaks for itself.

Unless Mr. Stock came out and issued a public apology for his contribution and then contributed an equal or greater amount to a pro-gay rights organization along with a commitment to fight for gay rights for the rest of his life, no explanation would have any meaning to me.

[mondo joe]

2. People get hurt in boycotts. I'm certain the bus boycotts hurt African Americans

economically. That didn't make the boycott the wrong thing to do.

[meegbear]

12. Exactly ...

Re-reading the article, I see that he appears to be against people boycotting his business, but not others. If you only care about your livelihood, your sincerity is worthless.

[racaulk]

3. Keith Olbermann isn't gay?

:wow:

Well, there goes my fantasy. :P

In all seriousness, Stock couldn't have made that contribution without knowing, in some way, that his company would be affected. He's the CEO, after all.

Shimmin stated in his article that he has never "witnessed Mr. Stock’s religious convictions as a Mormon interfere with his fair and equal treatment of employees or customers of Cinemark Theatres." However, Stock contributed thousands of dollars to help fund an initiative, in another state, that had absolutely zero affect on him or his rights.

So basically, he's nice to gay people (as employees or customers) as long as they're helping his company make money. But that's where it ends. He's nice to your face, but then he stabs you in the back for your support and loyalty.

Fuck him.

[terrya]

5. Alan Stock owns the Century Theaters in Evanston, Illinois.

And there will be a protest at the Century Theaters tomorrow afternoon.

As Keith Olbermann so perfectly put it, this vote IS horrible. And when someone financially contributes to bigotry, as Alan Stock did, that person should understand that his contribution has consequences. People...gay and straight...are very, very angry about this vote.

Of course these organizations should be targeted for protests and boycotts. As long as the owner of these companies supports bigotry.

[bluedawg12]

7. OK, one gay couple out of Cinemark’s "15,000 team-members "

" I am proud of Cinemark’s commitment to diversity in our workforce ..."- Bob Shimmin

I can only assume that Shimmin is the only gay at Cinemark, as no stats are mentioned about this haven of diversity...and he's in a tough spot, he works there in upper management.

[Irishonly]

10. I Am Glad I Read The Comments

I was going to get my daughter a Twilight jacket for Christmas. She will not be getting one. I will not support the movie, books or merchandise now. I told my daughter about the author being Mormon and she will not be buying any more either.

[RCinBrooklyn]

11. My thoughts...

Since this report speaks directly about the movie "MILK" and its relevance to today's issues, it seems worth remembering Milk's own feelings with Proposition 6. He felt that, if Prop. 6 was passed, that the gay community would rise up in an angry and perhaps violent offensive that would have been entirely understandable. The unfinished business of Milk's time is still affecting us today and it this generation's responsibility to carry it forward.

We are not in the midst of a polite debate. We are not haggling over a trinket in a foreign bazaar. Prop 8 singles out gays. It strips them of rights. It undermines the very foundations of the Constitution of the country - which has no relationship to biblical belief or religious fanaticism. If gays are going to be singled out through the passage of this proposition, then the supporters of it should expect to be targeted themselves. If they are in positions of power, such as CEO of Cinemark, then the foundations of their power ought to be attacked and brought down.

Cinemark is fair game as is the Mormon Church. We are not engaged in a friendly disagreement. These people have mobilized to strip Americans they don't like or respect of their civil rights. That's not politics. That is war. Gays have learned how to fight back and we ought to throw our full fury at individuals who funded this fight against us AND their power bases - period.

Civil Rights or Civil War. Gay Rights Now!

[Zuiderelle]

13. I agree with your thoughts.

:thumbsup:

[Zuiderelle]

14. This paragraph strikes me as odd...

"During my job interviews, I discovered that Cinemark has an LGBT liaison for community outreach; Cinemark provides domestic partner benefits for California team members; Cinemark hosts the annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival; and Cinemark works with the North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce as well as the Collin County Gay & Lesbian Alliance to arrange advance screenings for movies of interest to the LGBT community. "

Do they provide DM benefits ONLY for California employees?

Besides that, everything else sounds like what any big corporation provides. Especially one involved at all in entertainment. But it doesn't make Cinemark some pinnacle of LGBT outreach and support. The CEO donating money to strip LGBT Americans of their rights DOES make Cinemark a fair target for boycotting.

Sorry, Shimmin, you should be ashamed of yourself for letting them use you this way. Maybe YOU don't care about getting married, which seems obvious since you left behind what little you had in California to get your cushy job, but you don't get to tell us what to do.

[yardwork]

15. The author is mistaken in one of his statements:

Have I ever witnessed Mr. Stock’s religious convictions as a Mormon interfere with his fair and equal treatment of employees or customers of Cinemark Theatres?

No.

In fact, the author has witnessed Mr. Stock's religious convictions interfere with fair and equal treatment of employees and customers of Cinemark. By contributing money to take away a civil right, Mr. Stock interfered with the fair and equal treatment of every gay employee and customer who lives in California. Every single gay resident of California was treated unfairly and unequally by the passage of proposition 8, and Mr. Stock directly contributed to that action.

Sorry. No sale.