A followup to AFTAH’s exclusive special report on Out & Equal’s radical agenda…

From the Out & Equal website:

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates is proud to display our ever-increasing list of corporations who support LGBT workplace equality by encouraging and fostering their own employee resource groups (ERGs). With such valuable workplace groups in place, employees in one ERG can turn to leaders in other groups to share resources and establish good workplace practices for LGBT employees. LGBT employees trust their employers are keeping their interests in mind when making key business decisions that affect all employees…

True Out & Equal Workplace Leaders

TAKE ACTION — Pass this article forward to the executives at your company and contact your elected officials in Washington, D.C. (Congressional switchboard: 202-224-3121) to express opposition to the “ENDA Our Freedom” Bill. (ENDA is the pro-homosexual, pro-“transgender” Employment Non-Discrimination Act.) Also, call President Bush at 202-456-1111 or 456-1414 and ask him to veto any and all pro-homosexual bills that emerge from the Democrat-led Congress.

AN Americans For Truth EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL REPORT

Amy Andre, program manager for Out & Equal, presented a workshop at the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force’s Creating Change conference, November 8-12, 2006, in Kansas City, Missouri, entitled 15 Steps to an Out & Equal Workplace. (AFTAH’s reporters went undercover at the conference because the Task Force ejects critical observers at its events.)

One key initiative revealed by Andre: the promotion of a “spousal equivalency policy” that would require employers to pay homosexuals a higher salary than married heterosexuals.

These are the steps that homosexual activists are recommending for American corporations (our comments are in bold and italics):

(1) Support and attend the annual Out & Equal “Workplace Summit”

(2) Start an “employee resource group” — This employee group will be used to pressure the company to complete the remaining steps.

(3) Offer domestic partner benefits — O&E supports domestic partner benefits for cohabitating heterosexuals as well as homosexual partners.

(4) Include “sexual orientation” in your company’s EEO policy — Such a policy would prevent the company from “discriminating against” homosexuals or bisexuals.

(5) Include “gender identity and expression” in your company’s EEO policy — This policy would prevent an employer from “discriminating against” a transvestite (cross-dresser) or transsexual (who might be considering a “sex change” operation or might be partially or completely “transitioned”), even if this situation creates a problem with clients. (For example, these policies have been used to ensure that a teacher who cross-dresses or proceeds with a “sex-change” operation cannot be fired. Instead, children are expected to understand and cope with this outrageous situation.)

(6) Include LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] workplace diversity training — “Knowing someone who is LGBT changes attitudes” so O&E recommends having the trainer or another employee “come out” during the session — a manipulative tactic.

(7) Support the LGBT community through corporate giving — Although homosexual activists generally express disdain for corporate America, executives are urged to contribute money to promote the normalization of homosexuality.

(8) Recruit and develop LGBT employees

(9) Market to the LGBT community

(10) Create LGBT-specific advertising

(11) Provide LGBT leadership development opportunities

(12) Develop spousal equivalent policies for LGBT employees — See below — this one is very important.

(13) Include LGBT-owned businesses in your supplier diversity program — O&E recommends the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s certification program. This policy results in business moving from family-oriented companies to pro-homosexual companies. (Case in point: Wal-Mart.)

(14) Promote an LGBT-friendly corporate culture

(15) Share best practices around LGBT workplace issues

Out & Equal convinces companies that homosexuals comprise both a vital source of talent and a uniquely attractive target market segment. Using data from Witeck-Combs, a pro-homosexual firm, O&E suggests that homosexuals comprise 6 to 7 percent of the population. (Their number far exceeds more scientific estimates that put the figure at 1-3 percent.)

Using their inflated numbers, O&E says the 14 to 16 million homosexuals will spend about $640 billion in 2006. They report that homosexuals are twice as likely to be professionals or managers, are early adopters of new technologies, are brand loyal, and have a higher discretionary income. That enticement, along with a little “social justice” guilt, deceives companies into implementing O&E recommended policies.

First, a corporation would incur additional expense to fund “domestic partner” benefits. Most corporations contribute a substantial portion toward the cost of an employee’s personal health care and some toward the cost of coverage for an employee plus spouse or employee plus spouse/children. O&E recommends that an employer make that same contribution for those who are not married — for instance, a live-in boyfriend/girlfriend or a homosexual partner.

Homosexual “Spousal Supremacy”?
Next, Out & Equal’s “spousal equivalency policy” would require the employer to compensate the homosexual employee for the absence of tax exemption on homosexual partner and children health insurance costs. An employee normally makes a contribution, deducted from his paycheck, toward the cost of his health care coverage. For a married man, that expense is paid with pre-tax or tax-exempt dollars. Because there is no federal recognition of “gay marriage,” although a homosexual may receive domestic partner benefits, his contribution is paid with taxable dollars.

In the example Ms. Andre used (and she did note that the figures would vary according to each unique circumstance), she estimated that the employer would need to pay a homosexual employee with a partner $3787.20/year extra to compensate for the different tax status; that figure would soar to $7006.32/year for a homosexual with a partner and children. The net effect of this concept would be to pay a homosexual with a “partner” thousands of dollars more than a married heterosexual.

And add to that the cost of employee time spent networking, calling or e-mailing, meeting to focus on their “victim” status, lobbying HR/management, etc.

Executives would do well to examine Eastman Kodak, Ford, and Wal-Mart as case studies and to note the negative effect of capitulating to GLBT demands — on corporate revenue, volume, and stock price.

Or they could simply heed the words of one (white, female) activist in a separate Task Force Creating Change session, who expressed disdain for American corporations and said:

“…I am happy to take the white man’s money
and use it to subvert [everything he stands for].”

Out & Equal’s 2007 Workplace Summit will be held September 27-29 at the Hilton in Washington, D.C. Human Resource executives would do well to take their calculators along.

Parents, please be aware that Abercrombie & Fitch also owns abercrombie, Hollister, and Ruehl 925.

From the homosexual activist organization Human Rights Campaign, posted Dec 19, 2006:

Joins Top Companies for GLBT Equality

HRC is pleased to announce that four more companies have achieved a perfect score of 100 percent for their workplace policies for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees. Abercrombie & Fitch, Ameriprise, Brinker International and The Walt Disney Co. have received updated scores of 100 percent following the publication of our corporate report card, the Corporate Equality Index.

“We are proud to count Abercrombie & Fitch and the others among more than 140 American corporations that fully support all their employees,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “By achieving the top score, these companies have demonstrated a commitment to their employees and to all Americans who support fairness and equality.”

Excerpted from Website Aimed at ‘Tweens’ Promotes Homosexuality, by Bob Unruh, published Dec 14, 2006, by WorldNet Daily:

A website that targets its messages to ‘tweens,’ which it identifies as those ages 9-14, is promoting homosexuality to those children because the idea of one-man-and-one-woman only is “so last century.”

The website [Kidzworld] also is lobbying children to oppose the policy by the Boy Scouts of America against allowing homosexuals to lead troops of young boys, and advocates for the “rights” of homosexuals to adopt children.

…The website’s agenda is unabashed throughout its messages to the children:

• “Isn’t the most important issue to have two parents who love you? Does it really matter if a child as two mommies or two daddies?” it tells readers.
• In reference to a Florida law banning homosexuals from adopting, it says, “Steve and Roger have done more than most straight people applying for adoption. They have proven their dedication, love and ability to provide a healthy and stable home for their kids. Florida should congratulate them not punish them with outdated laws and narrowminded ‘tudes!”
• To “molly_holly,” who says her boyfriend is “gay” but “he likes me too,” the website responds: “What do you mean, he’s your boyfriend? Do ya mean he is your friend and he’s a boy? Or do ya mean he’s crushin’ on ya… like he’s your hottie? Cuz if this boy’s gay, I think you’re gonna have to get use to being his good friend. Sort of a Will and Grace set up. I hope you’re cool enough to not have any issues about his sexuality, cuz homophobia (the fear of gay peeps) is so last century.”
• In a book review, it says: “The only difference is, this book is about Paul, a 16 year-old gay boy who has fallen in love with the new boy in town, Noah. It’s really cool to have a book that portrays something other than the cliché cheerleader/football player love story…”

Regarding the Boy Scouts, whose dispute went to the U.S. Supreme Court which ruled that as a private organization the scouts are allowed to set moral standards for their leaders, the site provided a link for children to complain to the scouts, and then noted “a lot of pressure” is being put on the scouts to change.

Then the site provided a link for other volunteering opportunities that connected with a promotion for World AIDS Day.

Kidzworld home page shows its games and entertainment attractions

The site’s privacy disclosure notes that when children age 12 and up sign up on the website, their parents are sent an e-mail notifying them, and for children younger than 12, their parents must respond to an e-mail before they can sign up. However, signing up is not required to view any of the information, only to participate in the chat rooms and other options.

And, none of the pro-homosexual comments was found on the first page, the location most parents who actually do inspect a site would be most likely to check out, either. They were found embedded in the site as a reader follows various links.

…I clicked on ‘make a baby’ – and got All About Gay Parents,” he wrote.

…”kizzy333,” age 13, also said, “I’m not gay but I really dislike homophobic peeps. If two peeps of the same sex are in love, what’s the harm in it? My mum’s friend is a lesbian and she hasn’t changed. She’s a really loving parent too. It’s da bomb!”

The site features advertising from HarperCollins Children’s Books, the Cheetah Girls and GameBoy products, among other children’s attractions.

The site, which says it has had 4.4 million unique visitors, explains it is “the ultimate in online entertainment for kids nine to 14 (a.k.a. Tweens.)” and allows that age group of children to “interact, communicate and explore the digital world” and where they can “play, discover, voice, gather and belong.”

Continue reading at WorldNet Daily…

Excerpted from Commercial Closet: Ikea Revisits Gay Couples, While Others Enter the Gay Fray, by Michael Wilke, published Nov 28, 2006, by the pro-homosexuality GayWired:

Swedish home furnishing retailer Ikea made worldwide news in 1994 for its U.S. commercial featuring a male couple buying furniture together. The company has returned to its roots with a new spot including another gay pair, this time with a child.

Following a rainbow of families, the black and Asian male couple are joined by their Golden Retriever and daughter, snuggled in domestic bliss. An ending voiceover asks: “Why shouldn’t sofas come in flavors, just like families?”

Ikea spokeswoman Mona Liss says, “Home is the most important place in the world, it’s the place where we grow our families, however we define family. That includes the people you choose to live with, and the friends and pets you choose to bring in.”

…A host of new advertisers have entered the gay market recently. The year-old gay cable channel from MTV Networks, LOGO, has introduced Sears Brands, Sprint Nextel and Bally Total Fitness to gay viewers in the last several months, while viewers of the channel on Time Warner in New York City have also seen Weight Watchers International and Subway restaurants.

A Sears spokeswoman says the company doesn’t comment on its advertising strategies. By contrast, segment market manager at Southwest Airlines Jena Atchison was practically bursting to talk about what her company was up to….

Atchison says, “We didn’t just want to tap into the gay market, we wanted to satisfy them.”

Excerpted from Napa Winery to Donate Funds to Support Gay Marriage, by Chris Rauber, published Dec 5, 2006, by San Francisco Business Times:

O’Brien Cellars, a brand of O’Brien Family Vineyard, said Tuesday it’s started a “progressive” philanthropic program to donate 20 percent of revenues from its online Equality Wine Store to a civil rights group that supports an end to California’s ban on same-sex marriage.

The family-owned Napa vineyard and winery said it will automatically donate those funds to Equality California, a San Francisco-based lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization. Winery owners Bart and Barb O’Brien said their goal is to help wine lovers support equal opportunity…

“We hope to raise over $100,000 for EQCA in 2007.”

…Other business-related supporters of Equality California, listed on the advocacy group’s web site, include Contempo Homes, the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Foundation, Proteus Fund Inc., Olivia Cruises and Resorts, Atlantis Events, Century Crowell Communities LLP, MTV Networks/Logo, Shadowrock Development Corp., AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Edison International, Foley & Lardner LLP, Gap Inc., Latham & Watkins and Wells Fargo.

Kors said the California State Automobile Association and Comcast have also signed up recently as sponsors of Equality California.

Continue reading in San Francisco Business Times…

This article is a must-read for anyone working for an American corporation. From the automotive, airline, and petrochemical industries to banks, retail stores, and restaurants patronized primarily by traditional families, employers are capitulating to the demands of homosexual activists who are organizing homosexual employees.

The pro-family movement must re-engage in the corporate arena, or there is no hope of recovering moral sanity in the larger culture. To start with we can demand strict neutrality in corporate “diversity” and giving programs, and an end to one-sided tolerance seminars that are in reality training sessions in “gay” ideology. — Peter LaBarbera

Excerpted from Queer Inc, by Marc Gunther, published Nov 30, 2006, by Fortune:

…A platoon of Raytheon employees wearing identical blue-and-black bowling shirts, pins with the company’s logo and black pants proudly walked the halls of this fall’s convention of Out & Equal, an organization that brings together the networks of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people – GLBT, in the argot of the moment – that have taken root at America’s big companies.

For three days in Chicago, with about 1,700 delegates from other companies, the 67 members of Raytheon’s GLBT network could attend workshops with such titles as The Cost of Transgender Health Benefits, Breaking Through the Lavender Ceiling and Male-on-Male Sexual Harassment: An Emerging Issue…

When Justin Nelson was trying to get the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce off the ground in 2003, IBM offered its support. “If they hadn’t joined, there wouldn’t be a chamber,” Nelson says. Big Blue was followed by Wells Fargo, Motorola, Intel, American Express and recently, Wal-Mart…

Some companies are grappling with how to manage employees switching from one sex to another. American Airlines and its HR people helped a 58-year-old pilot – an ex-Marine and Vietnam combat veteran – go from being Robert to Bobbi. Energy giant Chevron published “Transgender@Chevron,” an eight-page guide to the issues that come up when a worker changes gender identity, ranging from the bureaucratic (don’t forget to get a new security badge) to the everyday (when it’s appropriate to move from the men’s room to the ladies’ room or vice versa)…

This is how workplace changes typically happen at big companies – from the inside out. Gay and lesbian employees come out of the closet. They find one another. They organize. They enlist straight allies. And they take their concerns to top managers.

These gay networks customarily meet in company facilities, use the company intranet, and receive financial support…

• Among corporations, IBM is the No. 1 financial supporter of gay rights groups in the U.S.
• To export its gay-friendly culture, IBM supports employee GLBT groups in 23 countries, including Singapore, Slovakia and Colombia. There’s plenty to do: In 80 countries homosexual acts are illegal, as they were in parts of the U.S. until a few years ago.
• Last year IBM convened a group of gay college students at the Human Rights Campaign to form a national organization of students in science and technology.
• IBM persuaded Dr. Marci Bowers, one of the world’s leading sex-reassignment surgeons and herself a transgendered person, to participate in the company’s health insurance program.

…the truth is that for the past 15 years, boycotts or no boycotts, corporate America has been moving in only one direction, and at a pretty rapid pace.

Do you recall that the restaurant chain Cracker Barrel fired gay workers back in 1991 for not having “normal heterosexual values”? Well, a few years ago, when a Kodak employee sent an e-mail to co-workers objecting to the company’s endorsement of National Coming Out day as “disgusting and offensive,” he was the one who was fired when he declined to apologize. He was entitled to his beliefs, the company explained, but his behavior was not aligned with Kodak’s values.

So it’s clear where big business is going. What’s interesting is to watch it pull the rest of the country along. It turns out that the most important factor shaping people’s feelings about gay issues is not their age or even their religion – although those do matter – but whether they have relatives, friends or co-workers who are gay.

Continue reading at CNN…

A letter from Texas pro-family advocate Donna Garner to Lee Scott, CEO of Wal-mart.
To contact Mr. Scott yourself, click HERE.

Dear Mr. Scott,

My husband and I have been very committed to boycotting Wal-Mart because of its support of the homosexual agenda; but now that you have decided not “to support or oppose controversial issues,” we can happily go back to our wonderful Hewitt Wal-Mart and shop TODAY! We are excited because it has been a great sacrifice for us financially and time-wise to have to drive a long distance to go to other stores.

You have done the wise thing in making the decision to stop perpetuating the harmful and unhealthy homosexual lifestyle. We feel assured that you will live up to your commitment to American Family Association. If for some reason in the future you should decide to support the homosexual agenda once again, you can be assured that we will redouble our efforts to boycott Wal-Mart with even more commitment.

Thank you for listening to the traditional families of America who love our country and want to see it filled with healthy and whole families.

Sincerely,

Donna and Wayne Garner
Hewitt, TX