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MrsSpringsteen

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Pathetic Macy's, just pathetic. Enlarged breasts? Disgusting? They've got to be kidding.

By Kimberly Atkins
Boston Herald Reporter
Wednesday, June 7, 2006

macysltp06072006.jpg


Macy’s department store found itself mired in a fierce national debate between conservatives and gay activists when it bowed to complaints and removed part of a window display marking Boston Pride Week.
The display featured two male mannequins - one wearing a gay pride rainbow flag around its waist - standing near a list of several planned Boston Pride events.
The display was designed by Macy’s with the approval of the Boston Pride Committee.
But the store yanked the mannequins from the window after MassResistance, the conservative group formerly named Article 8 Alliance which has also campaigned against sex education and gay-themed books in public schools, complained the display was offensive.
“They were male mannequins with enlarged breasts, and one was wearing a skirt,” said MassResistance president Brian Camenker, referring to the gay pride flag wrapped around one figure, cinched with a white belt. “It was really disgusting.”
Elina Kazan, New York-based spokeswoman for Macy’s, said the decision to pull the dummies, but leave the rest of the display, was an effort to strike a balance.
“We believe in diversity, and our customers are very important to us,” Kazan told the Herald, adding that displays supporting Pride Week in previous years did not use mannequins. “But (the display) did offend a few of our customers, and we had to reexamine it.”
That decision upset gay activists, and Mayor Thomas M. Menino, whose spokesman said was “disappointed that Macy’s would bow to this kind of pressure.”
“The mayor believed the window reflected the diversity of our city,” spokesman Seth Gitell said. “This entire episode flies in the face” of that.
Camenker posted pictures of the display on the conservative group’s blog and in an email sent to thousands, urging them to protest, and scores of people inundated Macy’s officials with complaints. Yesterday several Macy’s officials in New York and Boston were unreachable because their email and voicemail boxes were full.
Keri Autlia, vice president of the Boston Pride Committee, said the group was planning a formal response to the story. “In an ideal world, they would put it back up and apologize,” she said.
ACLU of Massachusetts spokeswoman Sarah Wunsch decried Macy’s for “succumbing to the bigotry” of a fringe anti-gay group.
 
weird, those guys in the window look *exactly* like the guys who go to 80's night at Colbat on 17th street -- steely, polished, clone-like ...
 
I can't believe I went on their web site, ew I need a shower. They actually have this analysis of the "breasts"

http://www.massresistance.com/docs/events06/pride06/macys/

:crack:

And I like the skirt, it's hot. Men should not have to wear pants when it's hot outside :adam:

I feel the need to express myself to Macy's

"Misleading to callers. Tuesday morning we got a from a lady who told us that Macy's told her the display had been taken down! So we got right on the phone. Well, we tried, anyway. Macy's phones to the Boston store were not working, apparently jammed with your calls! When we finally got through, the store manager's number now led to the gift wrap department!

We were finally told by an employee that the display "was taken down yesterday. "Well, not exactly. When we went to see for ourselves, we saw they had taken down (1) the offensive mannequins and (2) the web site addresses for Boston Pride and the AIDS Action Committee (publisher of the infamous "Little Black Book"). But the big "Boston Pride" calendar of events still greets passersby. Macy's still seems to feel they need to promote this.

Face-to-face conversation with Boston management. When we visited the Boston store's executive offices on Tuesday morning, a store executive who identified herself only as "Robin" got right to the point. It was a pretty short discussion. She didn't hide her distain for us or our views on this subject.

MassResistance: Are you going to remove the "Gay Pride" display?

Robin: The mannequins have been taken down

MassResistance: But the sign's still up.

Robin: The verbiage is going to stay.

MassResistance: Why?

Robin: Because we respect diversity.

MassResistance: But you have no problem offending people.

Robin: I won't discuss this with you. I'm not saying any more to you, sir.

At that point, she made it clear that we needed to leave. Frankly, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. The fact that I've been shopping at that very store for over 25 years didn't seem to interest her.

Here's the email that Macy's is sending back to people who have contacted them on this. It reflects what it's like to interact with their management -- a polite but quite condescending attitude that they're right and the "riff-raff" that complains is wrong. Note the insulting implication that the homosexual activities in "Pride" week are considered no different than the being black or Irish. Macy's also says that they consider people involved in homosexual behavior simply one of the "markets we serve." So despite their pandering, it's pretty clear that Macy's "cultural diversity" doesn't include you or your shopping dollars. Let them know how you feel about that. (Some people are mailing them their cut up Macy's credit card!)"

To: -------

Like many other community initiatives and organizations that Macy's has supported over the years, including window displays and programs in celebration of Black History Month and St. Patricks Day, the window currently showcasing events for Boston Pride week at Macy's downtown supports a diverse part of our community. Macy's respects the many backgrounds, traditions, beliefs and heritage of all our customers and will continue to support a range of community causes, organizations, and initiatives that add to the cultural diversity of the markets we serve.

Our intention is always to welcome and include all members of the communities we serve, and certainly is never intended to cause any discomfort to you or any of our shoppers. I regret that we have offended you in any way in our commitment to be inclusive. We thank you for taking the time to inform us of your concerns and hope that you will reconsider your decision to visit us again.

Sincerely,

Christine Stewart
Customer Service Specialist
Macy's
 
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I just sent this to the Executive Offices and need to do more. God I hate when I have to hold back and be polite, and it's tough to put into words how this makes me feel

I am extremely disappointed that Macy's has in any way bowed to the pressure of the vocal minority, this so called "Mass resistance" group. This group promotes bigotry and intolerance, and Macy's never should have removed the mannequins-there was absolutely nothing offensive about them. If you remove the words about Pride Week, I for one will never shop in a Macy's store again.

What Massachusetts has a GENUINE resistance to is intolerance and to any vocal minority speaking for the majority. Macy's is doing great work in the community by promoting events such as Pride Week, but you have just taken a huge step back. Why? The explanation given does not pass any rational smell test. You will lose far more customers who feel you incorrectly gave in to these people than you ever will from those who actually take the time to notice and analyze "breasts" on a mannequin that aren't even there and aren't even relevant.
 
Macy's needs to grow a set and not give into this small group raising a stink.


Also, call me old fashioned, but a guy wearing a skirt is a little fruity.
 
There's nothing wrong with a man wearing a skirt, what makes a man a man is what's on the inside. A man can wear "manly clothes" and be the biggest creep on the face of the earth, I've known enough to learn that.
 
I wish my biggest worry in life would be what's in a storefront window.... Give me a fu:censored: break.
 
The display offended a bunch of bigots?

Well they offend me and I don't see anyone removing them from my sight.
 
Those MassResistance people should have been at the Madonna concert I just attended in Fresno.

Holy shit, their heads would've exploded
 
MrsSpringsteen said:
There's nothing wrong with a man wearing a skirt

Not quite a skirt, but on blisteringly hot Sydney summer days you'll find this man in a sarong by his pool and it's by far the most comfortable way to get around. Accidently flashing guests and neighbours from time to time is just a bonus (for all involved, really).
 
Earnie Shavers said:


Not quite a skirt, but on blisteringly hot Sydney summer days you'll find this man in a sarong by his pool and it's by far the most comfortable way to get around. Accidently flashing guests and neighbours from time to time is just a bonus (for all involved, really).



:considerstriptosydneynextjanuary:
 
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