Targeted L.A. restaurant donates to group challenging Prop. 8

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-elcoyote15-2008nov15,0,6294928.story


Targeted L.A. restaurant donates to group challenging Prop. 8

Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times
Hundreds of protesters converged on El Coyote on Beverly Boulevard on Wednesday night, and the picketing got so heated that LAPD officers in riot gear had to be called.

El Coyote Mexican Cafe came under fire after a manager gave $100 to the campaign to ban same-sex marriage. Employees make an online donation of $500 to an advocacy group challenging the ban.

By Tami Abdollah
November 15, 2008

Employees of the Los Angeles restaurant that came under fire this week after a manager gave $100 to the campaign to ban same-sex marriage in California said they had made a $500 contribution to the advocacy group that is raising money to challenge Proposition 8.

The Thursday online donation to Equality California, an advocacy group for the gay and lesbian community, came at precisely 7:22:03 p.m., about 22 minutes into a planned demonstration outside the restaurant's doors for the second night in a row.


Over the last week, online social networking sites and blogs have urged people to boycott El Coyote Mexican Cafe on Beverly Boulevard because of the $100 donation by Marjorie Christoffersen, a manager at the restaurant and a daughter of El Coyote's owner, who is Mormon,

Christoffersen, also Mormon, met with protesters Wednesday, and at one point broke down in tears. But some activists said they still faulted her for making the donation.


According to another manager, Arnoldo Archila, El Coyote employees pooled their money to make the donation -- though it wasn't clear who actually contributed. He said Christoffersen was not involved in the decision.

[Ian David]

1. Be interesting to see if anyone in MANAGEMENT donated money.

Otherwise, they're just cheating their employees again.

First, by taking away their rights.

And then by putting them in a position where their livelihoods are threatened.

And yet AGAIN by putting them in a position where they have to pay out of their own pockets to undo the damage their manager did.