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 Linda Thomas
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Linda is the morning news anchor and features reporter for KIRO Radio. This is her local news blog, with an emphasis on social media, technology, Northwest companies, education, parenting, and anything else that grabs her attention.

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Macy's attacked for support of gay marriage

January 30, 2012 @ 3:45 pm (Updated: 1:28 pm - 1/31/12 )

As more companies show their support for same-sex marriage, a few customers are pushing back.

Starbucks, Microsoft, Group Health Cooperative, Nike, Real Networks, and Vulcan all recently announced their support of gay marriage in Washington state.

"While some of our employees literally grew up around the corner, others have come from every state and almost 150 countries around the world. There simply is no substitute for their diverse backgrounds, perspectives, skills and experiences," says Brad Smith, Microsoft's VP for legal and corporate affairs.

Spokespeople for those companies tell me their support of marriage equality has been "well received." But that's not the case for Macy's, a national department store chain.

A Macy's catalogue was sent to homes with a subtle message supporting same-sex marriage.The wedding cake topper in the back of a stylish, classic automobile features two grooms. The close up version of the ad, though fuzzy, shows a same-sex couple on top of the cake.

Macy

MacyClose

A group affiliated with the American Family Association has started an email campaign urging Macy's to pull the image - which does not appear in the online version of the company's catalogue.

"Just because gay marriage is legal in a few states does not mean this is appropriate marketing. As a conservative customer I will not support it," they say. The group also calls Macy's decision to support gay marriage "an irresponsible choice" that is "highly offensive and not family-friendly advertising."

Macy's has made no secret of its support of marriage equality. A 2008 advertisement in California stated, "First comes love. Then comes marriage. And now it's a milestone every couple in California can celebrate." That was before California voters repealed granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples with Proposition 8.

A House committee held a hearing on the marriage equality measure on Monday. The House Judiciary committee approved it on a 7-6 party line vote. The full Senate is expected to vote on their version of the bill Wednesday, with full house action to occur shortly thereafter. The bill would then head to Governor Chris Gregoire’s desk for her signature. She will sign it.

Opponents wishing to challenge the new law would have until early June to collect 120,557 valid signatures. That's the amount required to place a referendum on the November 2012 ballot.

Related: Wording of Washington's marriage equality bill

More from Linda Thomas

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  • Nurse wrote...
    Reasons
    February 5, 2012 8:47 am
    I am a hospice nurse. A few years ago I had a patient who was dying. He lost conciousness too quickly for him to appoint a healthcare proxy. He was gay and had been with the same man in a loving relationship for 15 years. His partner was at the bedside holding his hand crying and struggling to say goodbye, then the patient's mother showed up. The partner had called her because even though the staunch catholic woman had refused to talk to her son since she learned of his sexual orientation, he thought she should know and be able to say goodbye to her son. She showed up at the hospital and as the legal "next of kin" had the patient's partner removed from the hospital, (the staff HAD to remove him, she was within her legal rights to ban him from the hospital room)where he died without being able to hold the hand of the person he loved most in the world. As a hospice nurse it was the most horrible thing I've seen and to this day it makes me cry. I don't care what your Church tells you, I don't care what you believe in. Keep your religion out of other people's lives. Gay people have a right to the same benefits and protections that everyone else takes for granted. Your church does not have to perform gay marriages if it's against their religion. There are many other places they can get married, other people's personal decisions in NO WAY affect your life or your marriage. This is a civil rights issue, and should be treated as such.
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  • Nurse wrote...
    for the haters
    February 5, 2012 8:58 am
    and just an fyi, he was not dying of AIDS. He had a heart condition.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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