Macy's removes
display
marking local gay
pride week
By boston.com from
the Web, June 7, 2006
BOSTON -- Macy's department
store has removed a window display marking Boston's gay pride week after a group
that opposes gay marriage complained it was offensive.
The display at the downtown Boston store featured two male mannequins, with one
wearing a gay pride rainbow flag around his waist, next to a list of several
planned Boston Pride Week events.
MassResistance, formerly the Article 8 Alliance, which has campaigned against
gay marriage and gay-themed textbooks in public schools, objected to the display
and said the mannequin wearing the flag had a "skirt" on, the Boston Herald
reported.
The group posted pictures on its Web site and scores of its supporters
complained to Macy's by phone and e-mail.
Elina Kazan, a Macy's spokeswoman, said the store decided to remove the
mannequins but leave the list of events in order to strike a balance.
Displays in previous years did not use mannequins.
"We believe in diversity, and our customers are very important to us," Kazan
said. "But (the display) did offend a few of our customers, and we had to
re-examine it.
ACLU of Massachusetts spokeswoman Sarah Wunsch criticized Macy's for "succumbing
to the bigotry" of what she said was a fringe anti-gay group.
|
