NYC Gay Rights Group: "Walmart Is Homophobic"

There are a lot of reasons to oppose opening a Walmart in New York City.

As we are aware, the big box retailer is a wage- and job-killerthat contributes to urban blight and has a terrible track record with women's rights. Now, the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City has given us another item to add to that list: Walmart is homophobic.

As Walmart has been working hard to infiltrate New York City, winning the blessing of Mayor Michael Bloomberg along the way, the Stonewall Democrats have come out in support of the anti-Walmart group Walmart Free NYC.

Here's what the group had to say in a recent press release:

“Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, the oldest and largest citywide Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) Democratic organization is proud to endorse Wal-Mart Free NYC."

"Wal-Mart represents a culture of intolerance and insensitivity towards LGBT employees and issues that is unwelcome in New York. Just last year more than 100 Wal-Mart stores were found to be promoting a children’s book that suggested that gay people can overcome 'sin' and convert to heterosexuality with the help of counseling. Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke signed a petition in his home state of Arkansas that was aimed at preventing adoption by Gay and Lesbian parents."

"In 2010 the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, which evaluates corporations on LGBT issues, gave Wal-Mart 40%. That failing grade is in marked contrast to other retailers like Macy*s, Costco both which received 100% in 2010."

As just one example of Walmart's discrimination against LGBT individuals, look at the story of Fernando Gallardo. Shortly after being hired for a seasonal job at Walmart last year, Gallardo was asked "point-blank" by his supervisor, in front of several other employees, if he was gay. After he answered in the affirmative, Gallardo was "stripped of many of his daily duties," and eventually his supervisor and other managers completely stopped talking to him.

Tell Mayor Bloomberg you're opposed to Walmart setting up shop in New York City, and you think he should be too.

Photo credit: -Marlith-

Lauren Kelley is an associate editor at AlterNet and a freelance writer. She has volunteered for Planned Parenthood of North Texas, Amnesty International, 826NYC and other groups.