06/15/2006
Macy's CEO Admits Mistake in Removing Gay Pride Mannequins
Macy's East Chairman and CEO Ron Klein tells Boston's In Newsweekly that he regrets the mistake Macy's employees made in removing mannequins from a Gay Pride display in the Downtown Crossing store.
He also says that the removal was due to "an internal breakdown in communication" and not because of "pressure" from right-wing extremist group MassResistance.
Huh?
Klein's letter, published in full over at Queerty and after the jump, makes no mention of the complaints from anti-gay group MassResistance that prompted a Macy's spokesperson to say the removal of the mannequins "was an effort to strike a balance."
Klein says in his letter, "Historically, our windows dedicated to causes and celebrations have always been executed through the use of text and props such as posters. We traditionally do not feature mannequins in these 'community windows' because the introduction of merchandise has no role in our tributes."
Klein's letter would suggest that because the mannequins were not even supposed to be there in the first place, the "internal breakdown in communication" was the reason for the removal, not some fringe bigot with a whining piehole.
Imho, Klein's half-assed apology is too little, too late. From my perspective, Klein wants to weasel out of a rumble with the right-wing bigots at MassResistance by throwing out the "internal communication" card.
I don't mean to extend the drama surrounding the gay mannequins, but I think Klein's response is weak and inadequate. I probably won't be shopping at a Federated Store anytime soon.
ADDENDUM: Here's a comment left over at The Malcontent that sheds some more light on the situation that led up to all this. Still doesn't change my feeling about this latest missive from the CEO.
Full text of the letter after the jump (via queerty)
From Ron Klein:
To the members of the GLBT Community:
My appreciation goes to In Newsweekly for giving me the opportunity to shed some light on a very troublesome week in Boston.
First, let me stress that Macy's commitment to diversity and to the GLBT community is unwavering. Our history is rooted in inclusiveness, and it is a core principle of Macy's.
I do recognize, however, that during Boston Pride Week, our actions did not appear to support that commitment. Every one of us in the Macy's family sincerely regrets that what we had genuinely intended to be a celebration of Gay Pride Week became the center of a controversy.
For many years, our company has dedicated a window in our Downtown Crossing store in Boston to Pride Week, and we did so enthusiastically again this year.
When the controversy arose over the content of our display, the decision was made to maintain the display with no changes. We wanted to stand firm in our support of Boston Pride Week and the GLBT community - just as we always have.
Unfortunately, as sometimes happens in large organizations, a miscommunication occurred and the controversial mannequins were removed. Again, they were not removed because of pressure - but because of an internal breakdown in communication. Macy's mistake - unquestionably.
Some can also call our decision not to return the mannequins to the window a mistake. Historically, our windows dedicated to causes and celebrations have always been executed through the use of text and props such as posters. We traditionally do not feature mannequins in these "community windows" because the introduction of merchandise has no role in our tributes.
I would ask the GLBT community to consider all that we did do - and have done - for Pride Week and the GLBT community. We did feature the Pride Week calendar of events in our window; we have done so for many years and are committed to doing so in the future. We hope the GLBT community will look past one element in a window display and recognize the exemplary record Macy's has in support of diversity and the GLBT community. We are one of the most supportive companies in the country to our GLBT employees, including many members of senior management, as well as, vendors, and customers. Our annual support of Pride Week in Boston and in other cities across the country should clearly demonstrate our commitment.
Am I regretful that Macy's made a mis-step in this instance? Yes. I am also regretful that some may question our commitment to the GLBT community based on this incident.
However, I am hopeful that Macy's long track record of support for inclusion and diversity will be remembered by the GLBT community and will be a strong counterbalance now that the facts are known.
As a Macy's employee, I am proud that our company supports and marches in Pride parades in Boston, Atlanta, Minneapolis, St. Petersburg, Seattle, and New York City (where I have personally marched for several years). I am proud of Macy's participation in AIDS walks in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami and New York City. I am proud of Macy's Passport fashion event, held in San Francisco and Los Angeles, that has raised $21 million for HIV/AIDs research since 1988. I am proud of Macy's 86 ranking in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index - the second-highest ranking possible. And I'm proud of all the community partnerships, events, awards programs, marketing campaigns, recruiting efforts, and education and awareness programs undertaken by Macy's with and for the GLBT community.
I can tell you with deepest sincerity that Macy's commitment to diversity and to the GLBT community always will be an important part of our company and our community outreach.
Previously
Macy's Removes Gay Mannequins After Wingnuts Complain [tr]
Posted 4:32 PM EST by Andy Towle in Boston, Gay Pride | Permalink
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hey towleroad,
can you publish a list of all Federated stores, so that i can boycott them all? that would be awesome. i'm guessing that boycotting only macy's isn't enough, if we're shopping at their other stores.
thanks!
richard
new york, ny
Posted by: Richard | Jun 15, 2006 5:02:37 PM
Huh? Then why did they remove the Pride web addresses from the back wall of the display when they removed the "offensive" dummies (who imho looked about as "offensive" as two dummies waiting at a bus stop. This is a lame apology.
Posted by: Ken | Jun 15, 2006 5:14:51 PM
Wow...what a lame excuse. But, what could we expect them to say? "We bent over for a right wing hate group" ? There's nothing in his email that rings of the truth. I will never shop there again, and if other feel the same it is important to let them know.
What was most pathetic about the display after the removal of the mannequins was the two spotlights that were positioned to shine on them. They were left on and two beams of light shined down in the left part of the display showcasing all the more that something was taken away.
I might add that I have never recieved a single response from any of the Macy's people I wrote to regarding this.
Posted by: Patrick | Jun 15, 2006 5:46:39 PM
http://www.federated-fds.com/home.asp
Make your dissatisfaction known ... email federated, buy something from one of there competitors and let the competitor know why your purchasing from them today. Money talks.
Posted by: Eric | Jun 15, 2006 5:54:54 PM
I agree
TOO little TOO late
Posted by: jimmyboyo | Jun 15, 2006 6:08:11 PM
WAY too late!
What this CEO fails to understand is that gays are way smarter than he thinks. His stupid letter does not fool us!
I am definitely NOT buying at any federated store again.
Posted by: FunMe | Jun 15, 2006 6:09:33 PM
Hmm. I'm willing to cut them a TEENSY bit of slack. I won't go out of my way to shop at their stores anymore...BUT, I'll be interested to see what's in their windows next Gay Pride.
Posted by: jjabely | Jun 15, 2006 6:11:04 PM
Maybe itsn't the best you could hope but I don't understand whay boycott them now, they have a very good HRC rating. In Spain we don't have any big store supporting gay causes, the most important spanish store (El Corte Inglés) is supporting ultraconservative radio programms and newspapers. I think you are being too tough with Macy's.
Sorry for my bad English.
Posted by: spanishguy | Jun 15, 2006 6:13:54 PM
Now if we can just get Bush to apologize for the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment as a "an internal breakdown in communication" and admit it was a "mistake - unquestionably."
I'm also willing to give them a teensy bit of slack for – ultimately – doing the right thing. We've seen worse than this bit of PR.
Posted by: undawater | Jun 15, 2006 6:20:06 PM
The store did make a mistake by putting the mannequins on the display without asking the makers of the clothes the mannequins were wearing if they could use them in that context. However with that said. I am sure they carry a line that would of had no problem with the display and would loved to have been included in the display. His excuse is a total PR move and he should know the gay community would know this and call him on this total bullshit.
Posted by: PleaseThink | Jun 15, 2006 6:30:36 PM
Lame.
Super lame.
It would have been better for them to remain silent rather than issue this kind of lame-ass crap. Do they think we're all retarded? Wait, don't answer that.
Posted by: Brian | Jun 15, 2006 6:42:58 PM
I've read elsewhere that Federated Dept. Stores has a good record on gay issues. I checked the HRC consumer guide, and it's true, they do score pretty high. Certainly higher than JC Penney or Abercrombie and Fitch or Men's Wearhouse or Donna Karan.
But there are higher rated stores that we can easily shop at: Sears, Nordstrom's, or the Gap. The last time I got something from Sears, I think it was underwear my Mom bought me for Xmas. I may have to check them out again. shudder.
and I really don't understand Pleasethink's response. Like it's somehow bad for a line of clothing to be associated with Gay Pride??
Posted by: Sean | Jun 15, 2006 6:54:46 PM
Well, people and companies do make mistakes, and one does need to look at their history of support of the lgbt community. I find it really disturbing that I have received not one response to all the emails I sent. Has anyone else received a response?
Posted by: timothy | Jun 15, 2006 7:23:36 PM
The mistake was blatant and obvious: budging under pressure from the wingnuts. I am NOT going back to spend a single dollar with them. Their history of support could not stand the phone calls of some people that most probably do not buy even mascara there.
Posted by: xavier | Jun 15, 2006 9:27:09 PM
Federated to offensive gays:
Piss, meet leg.
Introduce yourself as "rain."
Posted by: Brian NYC | Jun 15, 2006 9:27:27 PM
(snip)
In 2003, Pepsi agreed to give $3 million to charity after Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons threatened a boycott because the soda company canceled an endorsement deal with rapper Ludacris in the wake of complaints from commentator Bill O'Reilly.
(snip)
Now that's the kind of "gesture" Macy's needs to make. There needs to be a major contribution to Mass Equality, and a specific statement that they disavow all the stupid statements and positions of the closet case whose complaints motivated the removal.
We also should GET THE MANNIQUINS BACK so we can display them as historic symbols of the way hatred of gay people were so offensive to some wingnuts and corporations that even imaginary objects were segregated and disappeared from society.
Posted by: bambambam | Jun 16, 2006 7:02:14 AM
Article reprint from the Boston Herald
Error, not pressure, killed gay display, Macy’s claims
By Kimberly Atkins
Boston Herald Reporter
Friday, June 16, 2006 - Updated: 02:20 AM EST
After sparking a firestorm of protests for yanking two “gay” mannequins from a Downtown Crossing display window last week, a top Macy’s official issued an open letter to the gay and lesbian community apologizing for the move, and denying that the store bowed to pressure from a group that opposes gay marriage.
In the letter, Ron Klein, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy’s East, said the mannequins were pulled from the Boston Pride Week window display by mistake.
“When the controversy arose over the content of our display, the decision was made to maintain the display with no change,” Klein said in the letter, published by gay publications including In Newsweekly and Bay Windows yesterday.
The dummies, one with a rainbow pride flag wrapped around its waist, were pulled due to “miscommunication,” Klein said.
Brian Camenker, president of MassResistance, the conservative group formerly named Article 8 Alliance, which launched an Internet and e-mail protest against the store urging a boycott over the window, insisted it was his group that prompted the action.
“They definitely bowed to our pressure,” Camenker said, adding that he plans to send more e-mails urging supporters of his group to boycott the store chain because of Klein’s letter.
-------------------------
The last part of this letter i find interesting Brian canemaker the Head of Article HATE/Mass Resistance is the BIGGEST Bigot and asshole in the state of MA. He's one step removed form Shirley Pelps Roper. He says he's now going to uge HIS group to BOYCOTT Macy's so it seems MACY's is going to lose both ways.
Personally I still plan on Boycotting Federated and Macys but my plan is alo to find out about CANEMAKER the "people" in his group and the businesses they run and other businesses that associate with them and boycott and write them also! I don't know whay this ahs effected me this much but I am through being nice and above it. its time to fight back and be louder and more persistant!
Posted by: Will | Jun 16, 2006 7:48:43 AM
For a further glimpse into Insanity and Hatred check out their websites.
MASS RESISTANCE
http://www.massresistance.blogspot.com/
http://www.massresistance.com/index.htm
They NEED to be fought!
Posted by: Will | Jun 16, 2006 8:52:10 AM
I could have done without the link to the bloviating, preachy comments of North Dallas Thirty- he always gets a boner for crap like this.
Posted by: Mike | Jun 16, 2006 9:30:12 AM
The mannequins needed to be put back, if not just for a couple of days after Pride week as a gesture of good faith to the Gay Community the company has supported in the past. Also to show the people who originally objected to it that they were not the reason the mannequins were removed, not that anyone is going to believe that "after the fact" make up story.
Macy's sucks. Don't shop there.
Posted by: Bryce | Jun 16, 2006 10:00:59 AM
Pleasethink: What "context"? The two mannequins were standing apart, not engaging in lusty man-sex. They were standing.
This is not an apology it’s an attempt at an excuse! Gosh, I’m as willing as the next person to cut some slack. I agree—if the assertion about not using mannequins for social comment windows is true—that it might have been inappropriate for mannequins to be in the window in the first place. In fact, I like the sentiment: we’re not taking advantage of the occasion to sell clothes. But, I do object to the reason they took the guys down…the nutters complaining.
Federated has done some major harm because, they’ve proven that their “support” for gay and lesbian causes is qualified. “We’ll support you…so long as the right wing Christians don’t complain.”
Posted by: JT | Jun 16, 2006 11:44:54 AM
The point is that the "MassResistance" complaints were nonsense - absolutely fabricated crap. Is Brian C. going to remove HIS shirt to show us that he doesn't have middle-aged enlarged breasts?
To me, the whole point here is that Macy's allowed a hate group to force them to view our community with different standards than the rest of the citizenry, and I agree with Will - we should return the favor to any business that provides services to MassResistance. I'm sick of playing defense every time some faux religious nutcase gets his panties in a wad, and its time people stood up to these bigots who choose to believe in hatred as a "religious" experience and let them know they don't get any special rights.
Posted by: Kevin | Jun 18, 2006 1:15:34 PM