Another Boycott Announced (yawn)
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Desert Observer's Page Palm Springs, California. Californians Against Hate (CAH) initiated a boycott against Ken Garff Automotive Group on February 10, 2009. The action came after CAH learned that Katharine Garff, the wife of CEO/Board Chairman Robert Garff, had personally contributed $100,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign. The Ken Garff Automotive Group owns an automobile dealership in La Quinta along with a recently acquired Acura-Toyota-Honda dealership complex in Cathedral City and all were considered targets of the boycott. |
The boycott against Ken Garff Automotive Group was called off on February 27th when CAH reported satisfactory results had been achieved after "a wide ranging and very productive" meeting with CEO John Garff on Feb. 22. In related reports it was learned the Ken Garff Automotive Group sponsors Human Rights Campaign (HRC) dinners in the Utah home of LGBT philanthropist Bruce Bastian, has given money to HRC and offers a "favorable" benefits package to employees in same-sex partnerships. Several observers have noted the boycott of its longtime benefactor appears to have sparked concerns by representatives of HRC and their involvement may have played a significant role in the decision to end the boycott. However, other sources have subsequently questioned whether a business that gives to the Human Rights Campaign buys themselves a get-out-of-jail-free card to use in their other endeavors.
Boycott announced and implemented. Boycott ended - demonstrators fold tents and steal away. End of story. Well, that appears not to be the case. Despite no record of earlier involvement in the boycott, the local Desert Stonewall Democrats (DSD) are calling for their own boycott of the local Ken Garff Automotive Group outlets. After reading their press release one is left concluding they remain unsatisfied with the February 27th decision to end the boycott. So, while the rest of the LGBT community appears to have moved on, DSD folks are gearing up for demonstrations. Apparently get-our-of-jail-free cards don't work with them.
There's at least one problem with the DSD boycott approach. There are no demands listed in their press release so one has to conclude either (a) the boycott will never end, or (b) the boycott will continue until DSD receives some form of satisfaction from the dealership. What form - cash, discounts, promises, free HRC memberships - that satisfaction will take should prove interesting. Or, the whole boycott effort could just as easily end with even less fanfare than occurred with its announcement.
Posted by Desert Observer at 4/12/2009 1:38 PM 
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Bruce Bastian Politics Ken Garff Automotive Group Desert Stonewall Democrats Katharine Garff Human Rights Campaign
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Bruce Bastian Politics Ken Garff Automotive Group Desert Stonewall Democrats Katharine Garff Human Rights Campaign
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