Target's Talking Gay: 'We Felt Really Good' About Bigot Donation Aftermath

Let's Hear A Homosexual Executive At Target Defend The Company's Reputation With The Gays

Daniel Duty is the Director of Enterprise Strategy at Target. In 1992, Duty was appointed by Target's CEO as a co-sponsor of the company's LGBT business council. Duty provides an insider's perspective on being gay at Target and how the company overcame public and media backlash for supporting a candidate that opposed gay rights. Here, he discusses the clusterfuck that is Target's relationship with the LGBT community after it donated money in a failed attempt to elect proud bigot Tom Emmer governor of Minnesota.

What is it like to be gay at Target? What is the general attitude towards LGBT people?

Duty: It's funny that you ask that question. I couldn't imagine working anywhere else as a gay person. I've had a fantastic career here for the last 10 years. I started many, many pay grades below where I am today. Target has been nothing but supportive of me and my career. As an out gay man who has been advocating very intentionally both inside and outside the company for inclusiveness, the only things that I've gotten back from Target are praise, reward, and support. And you could hear that story from people across this company, because I talk to them all the time.

It's really a great place to work – you can be out, you can be open, and most people are. We have several top executives in the company who are openly gay. The fact that we are such a community-oriented company feels good, because Target is spending lots of money on GLBT issues and organizations. The company is supporting us every day, as employees, to go out in the community and be volunteers for gay organizations and causes. We have celebrations here in the headquarter buildings. In some ways, we don't think about it all that much, because it is so easy. You don't have to pretend to be anyone else, you are who you are, and that's widely accepted throughout this organization, from the top down.

Did the company turn to you during the public and media backlash against Target? Did the company seek the advice of the LGBT business council?

Duty: Yes, actually, I think I got one of the first calls when that news broke. Really, the great thing about the business councils and how they are used here at Target is that the company does rely on them. They really respect their opinion on how to handle different issues. So, not only did it feel good, but it was natural for our top executives at Target to call the GLBT business council in that situation and say, "This happened, it wasn't our intent, but help us think this through–how do we handle this?"

More:
http://www.queerty.com/lets-hear-a-homosexual-executive-at-target-defend-the-companys-reputation-with-the-gays-20110215/

internal or external to Target?

Target continued to fund anti-gay politicians even after the boycott was announced and the scandal broke.

http://www.styleite.com/retail/target-anti-gay-donations/

This yo yo giving this lecture about how wonderful Target is to work for is just PR damage control.

Target is not going to give up funding politicians that help their company, even if it means stepping on gay rights. What they will do is organize a bullshit PR blitz filled with gay employees to try and soften their image. Notice how in all of his glowy praise of Target, he never once said that Target stopped funding anti-gay politicians? It's because they didn't.