The Gay Blacklist

There are some very troubling developments in the post Prop 8 aftermath. The tolerant, loving and caring "No on 8" crowd is scouring "Yes on 8" donor lists looking for businesses they can persecute because an employee of that business donated to the "Yes" campaign:

Some opponents of Prop. 8 are threatening to boycott the businesses of people who donated money to the ballot measure that banned gay marriage in California.

It was unclear how widespread the threats were, but an latimes.com database listing contributors to both sides of Proposition 8 saw a jump in traffic Wednesday.

El Coyote, the well-known Mexican restaurant on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, received calls threatening a boycott after it was reported that someone associated with the eatery contributed $100 to "Yes on 8."

Bob Montoya, a manager at El Coyote, said customers have called and threatened to boycott the restaurant, but it does not appear to have affected business. Montoya said he thought a boycott, if one was called, was misguided, as the restaurant has a number of gay employees and has always been gay friendly.

"I"m gay and I work here, and I've been here for 31 years," Montoya told The Times. "It's gay friendly. People have been coming here for many years, gay and straight, families and everybody."

Word of the boycott has spread around websites and Facebook. "We should put our money where our mouth AND support is AND NOT AT EL COYOTE," says a posting on one activist's website.

The Times also received a letter threatening a boycott of an El Pollo Loco whose owner apparently contributed to the Prop. 8 campaign.

Sonja Eddings Brown of ProtectMarriage.com said the boycott threats have extended beyond eateries.

“We have received calls today from our members in Greater Los Angeles and other parts of the state indicating that today their businesses are being hurt because they contributed money,” she said. “People who contributed have been receiving calls from people dropping their business with them.”

In the case of the El Coyote it turns out a manager, who is Mormon, donated $100 to the "Yes" campaign and now the restaurant is being hit with protests. At a hastily called press conference activists demanded that the manager in question agree to donate to the "No" campaign (isn't that extortion?) and to her credit, she refused. How long do you think she'll keep her job?

We've already seen a 25-year employee of a musical theater company in Sacramento hounded out of his job because of his donation. Who's next?

The election was 10 days ago and the issue has been decided, but the defeated group is now engaged in fascist tactics designed to persecute individuals who exercised their constitutional right to support a political cause they believed in. This new strategy has a two-fold purpose. First, these emotionally immature idiots are unable to respond to the loss rationally, so they're lashing out at people and businesses that they perceive as enemies. Secondly, they hope to intimidate future donors should this issue come before the voters yet again (and it will). If you know that your donation could open you up to public harassment and perhaps even the loss of your job, you will be less likely to contribute.

In my view the donor disclosure rules need to be changed. There is no reason why employers need to be revealed on donor forms. It serves no purpose other than that make that employer a potential target. I'd like to see that requirement eliminated.

Federal civil rights authorities need to get involved in this matter because voters should not face intimidation and persecution because of they political positions they support. Nobody in the "No on 8" camp would ever agree to being subjected to the same treatment, and in fact anybody that took them on the way they are going after "Yes" supporters would probably be charged with a hate crime.

It's time for the "No on 8" people to grow up. They lost. Recriminations and retribution against "Yes" supporters will only turn public emotions against the "No" side dooming any hopes they have of passing a gay marriage initiative in the future. Surely there must be some mature leaders in that community who can take the lead...at least one?

Oh, and shouldn't gay marriage supporters boycott the inauguration of Barack Obama? After all, he has stated on more than one occasion his opposition to gay marriage, and his own words were used in ads in favor of Prop 8. Wouldn't it be hypocritical to express support for Obama while persecuting others who opposed gay marriage?