News :: GLBT
UPDATED :: Macy’s removes Gay Pride display under pressure by Article 8 by David Foucher
EDGE PublisherThursday Jun 8, 2006 Macy’s store in Downtown Crossing has found itself at the center of a gay rights maelstrom after it bowed to pressure from a Massachusetts anti-gay alliance and removed portions of a Gay Pride display from its windows.
The display showed two male mannequins - one with a pride flag around his waist - and the logo for Boston Pride 2006, and was designed in collaboration with the Boston Pride Committee.
As of this morning, the mannequins and the URL of Boston Pride have been removed from the display.
The decision to pull the mannequins was made by Macy’s corporate department in an effort to appease the anti-gay organization Article 8 while still maintaining a presence for gay pride.
Elina Kazan, a New York-based spokeswoman for the company, told the Boston Herald that the new display is a compromise. "We believe in diversity, and our customers are very important to us.," she said, "but (the display) did offend a few of our customers, and we had to reexamine it."
MassResistance (http://www.article8.org) is continuing its fight, attempting to have the entire display removed.
"Your voices are starting to be heard loud and clear," the group’s website states, "and Macy’s is starting to back down. But they still don’t get it on their public support of a week of rather raunchy homosexual activity."
An employee with the store, identified as "Robin," responded to MassResistance’s further demands that the entire window display be removed: "The mannequins have been taken down [but] the verbiage is going to stay... we respect diversity."
Macy’s Customer Service Specialist Christine Stewart, in an email statement, said that "Macy’s respects the many backgrounds, traditions, beliefs and heritage of all our customers and will continue to support a range of community causes, organizations, and initiatives that add to the cultural diversity of the markets we serve."
Boston’s Mayor Menino spoke angrily about Macy’s decision to remove the mannequins at last night’s Pridelights celebration.
"Promise me," he demanded of the crowd, "that tomorrow you’re going to write letters to Macy’s, send emails... we can’t allow this to happen."
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To take action:
Macy’s Downtown Crossing
450 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111
617-357-3000
The following contacts are those posted to MassResistance’s website, where they urge individuals supporting their cause to take action. They are repeated here for the benefit of the GLBT community who wish to respond directly to those complaints being lodged in this matter:
Mr. Terry Lundgren, President if Macy’s
800-264-0069
terry.lundgren@federated-fds.com
Linda Stahley
Manager, Boston Macy’s
New phone number: 617-357-3063
James Gray
President, Macy’s East Coast Operations
Executive Offices, 151 W. 34th St.
New York, NY 10001
212-695-4400
Macy’s Presidential Complaints
PO Box 8215
Mason, OH 45040
ExecOffice@fds.com
Customer Service Office:
800-289-6229
Hours: Monday - Saturday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sunday 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
customerservice@macys.com
Other executives:
thomas.cody@federated-fds.com
thomas.cole@federated-fds.com
janet.grove@federated-fds.com
susan.kronick@federated-fds.com
ronald.tysoe@federated-fds.com
karen.hoguet@federated-fds.com
kimberly.reason@macys.com
lisa.kauffman@macys.com
ellen.fruchtman@macys.com
elina.kazan@macys.com
ronnie.taffet@macys.com
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On the web:
Macy’s :: http://www.macys.com
Article 8 Alliance :: http://www.massresistance.com
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