Wal-Mart has begun to distance itself from organizations that support “highly controversial issues” such as same-sex marriage, a company official said Tuesday.
The giant retailer had been criticized for making a $60,000 donation to Out and Equal, an organization for homosexual employees which deals with workplace issues, but which also supports changing the definition of marriage. The company also had joined the Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and sent it $25,000 in dues.
The Wal-Mart executive who served as the company's representative to the chamber has since left for unrelated reasons and will not be replaced.
The donations in question are miniscule compared to the total of $245 million Wal-Mart gives out annually, a large portion going to more conservative and Christian-related causes and organizations.
“Going forward, we’ll be looking differently at organizations we donate to,” the official said. “There are some areas we need to get corrected and that is what we’re focused on.”
He emphasized the new direction was not aimed only at the issue of homosexuality, but also other social controversies. He was not more specific.
He stressed that Wal-Mart will always be a company that demonstrates care and respect for every individual and employee. From time to time, he said, there may be donations to specific projects of organizations that are involved in activities that could be deemed controversial, but those projects would have to relate directly to serving customers better.
The American Family Association (AFA) canceled its call for a two-day post-Thanksgiving boycott of Wal-Mart after hearing the company's statement. AFA said it believes Wal-Mart will now remain neutral in cultural battles.
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If you'd like to thank Wal-Mart for reconsidering the sponsorship of controversial groups, you can find contact information on the company's Web site.
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