Conservative Groups Threaten Doll Boycott

[MrsSpringsteen]

I can't believe people would stop buying this kind of doll over something like this..When you consider how many things we buy/consume on a daily basis and we have no idea what the corporate ties are behind them...


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051015/ap_on_re_us/american_girl_protest_12&printer=1

"American Girl, manufacturer of a highly popular line of dolls and children's books, has become the target of conservative activists threatening a boycott unless the toy maker cuts off contributions to a youth organization that supports abortion rights and acceptance of lesbians.

The protest is directed at an ongoing American Girl campaign in which proceeds from sales of a special "I Can" wristband help support educational and empowerment programs of Girls Inc., a national nonprofit organization which describes its mission as "inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold."

American Girl, whose often patriotic products have long had a loyal following among conservatives, issued a statement Friday defending its support of Girls Inc. and assailing the protest campaign.

"We are profoundly disappointed that certain groups have chosen to misconstrue American Girl's purely altruistic efforts and turn them into a broader political statement on issues that we, as a corporation, have no position," the statement said.

The Mississippi-based American Family Association, in a campaign launched Wednesday, is urging its members to demand that American Girl halt support for Girls Inc., which it called "a pro-abortion, pro-lesbian advocacy group."

 

[BVS]

What the hell does "pro-lesbian" mean?

All I have to say is

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Why aren't they banning those God-awful Bratz dolls?

 

[melon]

Don't you understand? Any organization that helps women and doesn't tell women to stay at home and submit to their husbands is going to be declared a "lesbian organization that kills babies" by conservatives.

It's all about a power struggle. Conservative Christians want to dictate to people, rather than letting the secular world. And they probably do want to look at Iraq as a model, where we revert to a semi-tribal society where groups vote based on the approval or disapproval of influential clerics, rather than thinking for themselves. Shameful.

Melon

 

[verte76]

This is ridiculous. I think it's a big fear trip. They're afraid of anyone who doesn't think like they do.

 

[Irvine511]

these groups do this all the time.

did you know that you're supposed to boycott Kraft because they (shock! horror!) sponsor the Gay Games?

 

[indra]

Morons.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

What the hell does "pro-lesbian" mean?

this is what is says on the AFA web site

"They (Girls inc) also support and offer resources encouraging lesbian and bi-sexual lifestyles, actually offering resources for girls. One of their publications states, "The emergence of a lesbian identity is an ongoing process, rather than an event."

# Girls and Lesbian, Bisexual, and Questioning Identities

http://www.girlsinc.org/ic/content/lesbianbisexualgirls.pdf

# Free your mind: The book for gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth and their allies.

http://www.girlsinc.org/ic/content/sexualityresourcesgirls.pdf

I've always heard and read great things about Girls Inc

AFA is also mad at Target for selling 'Elexa by Trojan' line of "sex products".

 

[BAW]

these groups do this all the time.

did you know that you're supposed to boycott Kraft because they (shock! horror!) sponsor the Gay Games?

Don't forget Disney, who continues to corrupt the morals of this country by providing domestic partner benefits and...horror of all horrors...allows Gay Day to take place at its theme parks once a year.


As for the Girl's Inc. issue, I'll have to agree with indra...morons is a fitting description.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Ooooooooookaaaaaaay...yeah....

That's all I really have to say about these groups' idea.

Angela

 

[XHendrix24]

Why aren't they banning those God-awful Bratz dolls?

I was thinking the same thing. You know there is something horribly wrong with the culture today when you see trash like that being sold to six-year-olds. If any dolls were to be boycotted for "moral" reasons, I'd expect that those should be, not "American Girl" dolls.

 

[nbcrusader]

Most boycotts only draw attention to the product/service - free advertising.

 

[Liesje]

When I was of the age for dolls, I boycotted American Girl because they cost over $100...for a DOLL...talk about moronic

 

[A_Wanderer]

When I was of the age for dolls, I boycotted American Girl because they cost over $100...for a DOLL...talk about moronic

Thats because gay children have more disposable income

 

[Golightly Grrl]

Why aren't they banning those God-awful Bratz dolls?

I bet if the maker of the Bratz dolls was giving donations to Focus on the Family or Concerned Women for America, conservative groups would be overjoyed even though the dolls make Paris Hilton look like Grace Kelly.

And the money is being donated to programs that empower girls through education, sports, etc., not any political organizations that might be affiliated with Girls, Inc., not that it matters to conservative groups.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

GLOBE EDITORIAL
Girl talk

October 22, 2005

IT WAS a natural fit when American Girl -- manufacturer of a popular line of dolls portraying life from the mid-1700s through World War II -- announced this fall that it would fund programs sponsored by the national philanthropy Girls Incorporated. Nobody expected a protest.

But these are testy times, when labels are often too quickly applied. The American Family Association and the Pro-Life Action League, two conservative groups, did just that in denouncing a fine corporate gesture as one promoting abortion and homosexuality.

The groups have inundated the doll manufacturer and the philanthropy with e-mails and phone calls demanding that the funding stop because Girls Incorporated supports Roe v. Wade as well as sex education that includes information on homosexuality.

But those issues are just two in the 141-year-old charity's extensive program book, dedicated to building character and inspiring girls to excel intellectually and athletically.

In giving $50,000 to Girls Incorporated and in establishing the ''I Can" program last month, American Girl did not provide general funding but stipulated that it was supporting the specific areas of leadership skills, math and science education, literature appreciation, economic literacy, and sports.

''We are profoundly disappointed that certain groups have chosen to misconstrue American Girl's purely altruistic efforts and turn them into a broader political statement on issues that we, as a corporation, have no position," the company said in a statement.

But Randy Sharp, special projects director at the American Family Association, insisted that there is an 'ideological connection" to what his group sees as offensive political agendas. He noted that even when money is dedicated to presumably acceptable efforts, ''it frees up other monies to be used for the promotion of abortion and homosexuality."

Were protesters not so bent on labeling an enemy, they might find a friend in Girls Incorporated, which, according to its president and CEO, Joyce Roche, believes that the family should be ''the primary source of information on health and sexuality." She noted that her organization teaches about the benefits of sexual abstinence and works to prevent teen pregnancy.

The American Girl ''I Can" program calls on girls to make this pledge: ''I can be myself, follow my dreams, and always do my best. I can reach for the stars, lend a hand to others, and be a good friend. I can make a difference! I promise to try."

Proponents of all political persuasions can surely join in supporting that uplifting manifesto. Seeking the common ground rather than the battleground can create a brighter future for the country and its children.

 

[Antilarry]

A brighter future. Sounds good in theory, but I'm leaning towards the Sex Pistols' prognosis these days

no future
no future
no future
NO FUTURE
NO FUTURE

 

[Teta040]

We should be afriad. If these groups were operating in a political vacuum, they'd be laughable. But they're not. They have covert support (even to the level of financial contributions) at the very highest levels of gov't. The so-called guardians of Moral Virtue have way too much power these days. So anything they do should be taken very seriously. This isn't something that American Girl Inc can shrug off.

Funny, in the train station in Albany, NY I met a charming mother and daughter couple who were going down to NYC for an American Girl convention 2 wks ago. That was the train I was taking to Madison Sq Garden for the band's Oct 7 show. (BTW..strange to see apic of Bono walking on an empty MSG stage and thinking, "OMG,4 or 5 hrs later I was standing RIGHT THERE in that place in the photo!) The little girl had a huge Abigail doll. I like the characters myself, having worked in a bookstore I know the series well. Standing there waiting for the train, we talked AG and....U2. I still have an aftereffect of "gig lag" (LOL, Bono, I know that feeling well! I always called it the "concert high") Reading about an AG controversy now is just..weird.

 

[ILuvLarryMullen]

you now when groups like this pull this kind of shit it just makes us man-hating, baby-killing, liberal tramps want to buy these products even more , if only to spite them!