Right wing extremists hit company, Gays fight bnack

[blogactive]

TAKE ACTION: These rightwingers give me a headache...where's my Tylenol PM? STAND UP TO THE RADICAL RIGHT AND THEIR THUGGISH WAYS!!!

Who knew it was the Lord wanted gays and lesbians to have headaches? The wingnuts are at it again. This time they are targeting Tylenol PM because the product has been advertised in The Advocate.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION: http://www.blogactive.com/2005/07/take-action-these-rightwingers-give-me.html

[lvx35]

1. Tynenol PM, thats exactly what I need!

That's why I am up at midnight! Tylenol PM s a great product, seriously. It relieves pain, but it also just knocks you out, and gives you deep sleep that leaves you totally well rested in the morning, ready for the day. In that sense its dual purpose. I highly recommend it.

[noamnety]

2. I sent them an email

I won't post the whole thing, but this was my favorite line:

I don't know what the fundies are up to, but it seems pretty obvious to me that denying someone access to tylenol isn't going to turn them straight.

[kbm8795]

3. I sent them an email earlier today

but this just is another campaign in their strategy to try to drain advertising dollars from gay publications in the hopes they'll go out of business.

Whether we like it or not, these organizations have declared all-out war on us and I'm tired of playing defense all the time. Trying to put our publications out of business is one way they believe they can drive us back into the closet.

Another tactic is their publicity seeking protests of our pride parades and the Gay Games. . .and the five complaints that forced Clear Channel to remove a gay.com billboard from Cambridge Massachusetts earlier today.

It's time for us to start gathering money and buying billboards outing the hypocrites in their organizations. If they can put up billboards and take out ads pushing their ridiculous reparative therapy programs, we should be able to question their claim to christianity when they lie with such abandon and impunity.

[Ian David]

4. Why do anti-gay people spend so much time reading gay newspapers? n/t

[Siyahamba]

5. Like the mayor of Spokane...

Cruise the newspaper's personal ads by night, use the newspaper's advertisements for political fodder by day.

[noamnety]

6. I got an email back

"Thanks for visiting our website. We are so happy that you took the time to let us know how you feel. We appreciate hearing both positive and negative comments from consumers. Yours were particularly rewarding.

For over 30 years, we at McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals have worked hard to meet the needs of our consumers with innovative and high quality products. Compliments like yours help us attain that goal.

We believe that every e-mail from a consumer offers useful insight into our business. We forward feedback to our Marketing Department on a regular basis and can assure you our consumers are heard. Thanks for your support."

If you haven't written them yet, please do.

[best left blank]

7. I'll be honest,

I don't feel 100% comfortable with this idea that companies that choose to advertise in queer publications should be revered.

Let them support equal rights for gays and lesbians with their dollars and their actions. Then thank them. Don't congratulate them for 'discovering an untapped market.'

[noamnety]

8. I bet gay publications like advertising dollars

and I don't appreciate the fundies trying to pressure advertisers to boycott those publications.

[best left blank]

9. I'm sure they do...

..and you're right to take issue with the right wing reaction to these ads. But that sure as hell doesn't make Johnson & Johnson a friend of the left. If you're willing to look past their many serious problems for the sake of some ad revenue, be my guest. But I'd prefer a more honest approach. This is a business transaction for J & J, not some ringing endorsement of the queer community. No 'thank you's are in order here. Another multi national trying to maximize its profits. They're closer to our enemy than our friend. How much money do they give to Clear Channel and Sinclair?

[noamnety]

10. I've no idea how much they pay for other ads

And no matter how much or how little, I doubt that figure is going to change as a result of them advertising here or not. I also doubt it will change if I thank them for doing business with companies run by or for gays.

Yes, it's a business relationship, of course. It's one that benefits both parties. The dobsonites are trying to pressure all businesses to boycott gay publications, which will lead to obvious financial problems for those publications, if successful. I don't have a problem with voicing my support for them continuing to do business with those companies.

(Aside from that, they aren't an enemy in my house - they are the only thing that allows my kid to live a semi-normal life on days when she has migraines - she has an anaphylactic reaction to aspirin.)

[best left blank]

11. So you don't mind

that this company helps fund the spread of homophobic rhetoric because they spend a pittance on advertising aimed at the gay market?

Wow, redemption comes cheap.

[kbm8795]

12. Stop it. . .

publications operate on advertising dollars. That is often the primary financial support for a magazine. And since this is part of the "alternative" media, national advertisers spend large amounts of money that help support our publication.

There might be other issues with Johnson & Johnson, but for us to just sit back and let the fundies pressure them into not renewing their advertising contracts, then let our magazines fold, is exactly rolling over to their strategy.

Unless you are boycotting Starbuck's, which has a few franchises in fundamentalist megachurches, I don't want to hear about cheap redemption. The gay community has a few newsmagazines developed over years of struggle to communicate across the country - the attacks on the advertising is an attempt to bankrupt them. That might be perfectly fine to you, but it isn't to me.

Why don't you write the AFA and remind them they are a hate organization for these actions?

[best left blank]

13. Stop it?

Stop what? Suggesting that there might be a problem with accepting ad revenue from companies like J & J?

[davidinalameda]

15. they're supporting the community

if companies didn't advertise, these publications wouldn't exist, and the community would lose valuable voices

[best left blank]

17. I'm glad

that everybody feels the need to point out the fact that publications require ad revenue to survive, I had no idea. Yes, J & J purchases ad space in queer publications, but why the hell should they be thanked for that? And to translate 'purchasing ad space' into 'supporting the community,' is frankly, quite insulting.

Look, I'm not saying that these boycotts shouldn't be fought, I'm saying that the ads existence in the first place should be questioned. I just don't understand how everyone can put their politics away just because a company has its chequebook out.

This is a company that donated extensively to both GW campaigns, helped GW get elected, sends millions of dollars to the employers of Rush, Hannity and Orielly, engages in cruel animal testing, has worked hand and hand with De Lay, has worked to silence the voice of labour, the list goes on... so please forgive me a bit of ad revenue doesn't warrant a thank you.

[davidinalameda]

18. so sorry if you're insulted

but welcome to the real world

corporations are a necessary evil and they're a part of life

they're buying good will with their checkbooks, and if it pisses off the fundies while they do that, I say fucking fantastic!

do you have any idea what kind of crap some businesses take for advertising in the GLBT media and for supporting GLBT causes?

I'm just curious--are you employed or are you a student?

if you're employed, does your employer do any business with corporations? if so, why are you working there if all corporations are so evil

if you're a student, does your school receive any donations or support from corporations? if so, why are you going to school there

[best left blank]

19. The real world?

Honestly what kind of argument is 'they are a necessary evil'? Does that mean they have to necessarily be evil? And does that mean that we have to do business with corporations who support our oppression and persecution? It's not like I simply stated, 'No corporations!' There are very specific things that this corporation is responsible for, things that I (and supposedly you) are fighting against.

As for the second half of your post, not that it has any bearing on the discussion at hand, I do work, but not for the corporate world.

Anyhow, if you enjoy getting kicked in teeth so long as you receive a pat on the back afterwords, then carry on. Good luck with the struggle.

[ropi]

14. I say we start hitting GNC and places of that nature

they sure love to sell pat robertson's special formula drink mix--correct me if i am wrong...

and speaking of that... doesnt liberty u and regent u get access to financial aid and all sorts of goodies? it's about time to send letters to how they discriminate against the public and take federal dollars to spread their hate filled agendas.

[davidinalameda]

16. I sent them an email thanking them