MINNEAPOLIS, MN – More than 18,000 people have joined a popular campaign on Change.org calling on Best Buy to speak out against a 2012 ballot measure that would amend the Minnesota constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
Andrew Korando, a recent University of Minnesota Law School graduate, started the campaign on Change.org following Target Corporation’s recent statement in opposition to the Minnesota marriage amendment.
“Opposing this amendment is not simply the right thing to do, but as a local institution, it is also in Best Buy’s best interest if it wants to recruit and retain the industry’s top talent,” said Andrew Korando, who launched the campaign on Change.org. “I moved to Minnesota from another state, earned a law degree, and planned on making this state my home because I love how well the state takes care of all Minnesotans. If corporations allow this discriminatory policy to pass, they’ll lose people like me.”
“Recently in North Carolina, hate and bigotry won in part because the business community did not stand united behind fair-minded, inclusive laws,” Korando added. “Target Corporation recognized this and has taken the lead in speaking out. Best Buy would be wise to do the same.”
Last month, anti-gay groups attacked Target's new "Wear it with Pride" T-shirt campaign that will donate the proceeds of all sales to groups opposing the marriage amendment. In response, Target Corp. issued a statement, in part saying: “Target does not believe that a constitutional fight over the issue is good for Minnesota or the state’s ability to attract jobs and grow the economy.”
For every new signature on Andrew’s petition, an email is sent to Best Buy’s executive leadership and members of their employee LGBT group (PRIDE). Despite touting a 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index -- a ranking of the top LGBT-friendly employers -- Best Buy came under considerable fire in 2010 for giving $100,000 to a political action committee that funneled money to anti-gay politicians.
“More than 15,000 petitions were started on Change.org this past month, but Andrew’s campaign was definitely one of the fastest-growing,” said Mark Anthony Dingbaum, campaign manager at Change.org. “Andrew’s hope was to get Best Buy shoppers to speak out and to urge the company to condemn efforts to ban same-sex marriage, and by all accounts, customers appear to be listening to his call.”
