No Way to Shop

James E. Gray
President
Macy’s East
151 West 34th Street
New York, NY 10001

Dear Mr. Gray:

I am writing to you because of the recent decision by Macy’s Boston store to remove a portion of its window display celebrating Boston’s gay pride festival (June 2 – June 11). Specifically, the store removed the two male mannequins dressed in “pride attire,” one of which was wearing a rainbow flag around its waist. In addition, the websites for the Boston Pride Committee and the AIDS Action Committee were also erased from the display. Macy’s decision to censor the display came in response to complaints made by the Article 8 Alliance, a Massachusetts group that has been vocal in its opposition to same-sex marriage and GLBT equality.

Macy’s defines itself as a “Diverse and Inclusive Organization.” You state:

“Diversity within our workforce, customer base, and community and vendor relationships distinguishes Federated from other retailers and gives us a clear competitive advantage. On a day-to-day basis, diversity manifests itself in the respectful way we treat our customers, vendors, members of the community and one another.”

However, Macy’s decision to censor its Boston Pride window display demonstrates that its commitment to diversity is tenuous and more than a little fraudulent.

While I understand that you can’t please everyone in the Culture Wars, I find it saddening when companies with as distinguished a heritage as Macy’s cave in to pressure from the Far Right. If one must choose between bigotry and a commitment to diversity, why choose bigotry? If you offend the members of the Article 8 Alliance and those like them, you can do so knowing that your commitment to diversity prevents you from concluding, as they do, that there is something disgusting about a gay pride display featuring two male mannequins. Instead, you have chosen to offend the GLBT community by siding with the forces of bigotry, fear, and hate. It was an unwise and unethical choice.

Therefore, I am cancelling my Macy’s credit card and until Macy’s can demonstrate a genuine commitment to diversity, I will do my shopping elsewhere. I have no desire to give my patronage to a company that clearly puts the warped sensibilities of small-minded bigots ahead of my dignity.

Sincerely yours,

Sandouri Dean Bey