Target sues San Diego gay rights group

[The Northerner]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Target Corp. is suing a San Diego pro-gay marriage group to get it to stop canvassing outside its San Diego County stores, alleging its activists are driving away customers.

Rights advocates say the trial between Target and Canvass For A Cause that begins on Friday could further strain relations with the gay and lesbian community after controversy over its $150,000 donation to a business group backing a Minnesota Republican candidate opposed to gay marriage.

Minnesota-based Target insists it remains committed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and its lawsuit has nothing to do with the political agenda of the organization.

"Our legal action was in no way related to the cause of the organization and was done so to be consistent with our long-standing policy of providing a distraction-free shopping experience by not permitting solicitors at our stores," the company said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.

Target says it has taken similar action against a number of organizations representing a variety of causes. It alleges in the lawsuit that the San Diego group's activists harass customers by cornering them near its stores' front entrances and debating with them about their views on gay marriage.

Read more: http://hosted2.ap.org/txdam/54828a5e8d9d48b7ba8b94ba38a9ef22/Article_2011-03-25-Target-Lawsuit/id-24b93f74cfb04cb8b077d95255cc5604

[Taverner]

1. "activists are driving away customers" well duh! That's what a boycott IS!

[notesdev]

4. That's not what a boycott is

a boycott is a simple refusal to do business with someone.

If the activities are actually driving away customers - in other words, if indeed customers are not shopping there for the singular and specific reason to avoid being accosted by an activist - that is harassment and intimidation and is illegal, possibly a felony.

Obviously each side is going to claim the case that favors it... so I'd really need to see some videotape or some body of credible evidence in order to weigh in for one side or the other.

[freshwest]

2. But no other groups are listed that they want out of their parking lot.

At least I couldn't find any at the link to back up their claim as quoted in the article.

The problem with the mall landscape is putting the public square into private hands and denying freedom of assembly. And TARGET will win this one on that basis.

Their support of the MN Forward group on the surface, sounds well intentioned from the nice name-- but why did that group support the failed gubernatorial bid?

Clearly TARGET gave that money to buy favors, getting waivers on environmental and labor laws, tax breaks, etc.

Just like WALMART. We need to stop doing business with all of these Wall Street mobsters.

OTOH, is the gay marriage group spending too much time and effort on this one entity when more ballot initiatives might work?

[msongs]

3. our local Target does not allow anyone to solicit nt