MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Nearly 30,000 people have joined a growing campaign on Change.org calling on Best Buy to speak out against a 2012 ballot measure that would amend the Minnesota constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.
Andrew Korando, a recent University of Minnesota Law School graduate, started the campaign on Change.org last month after Target Corporation, a Minnesota-based company, publicly opposed the Minnesota marriage amendment. Shortly after, General Mills joined Target in opposing the measure. Both companies said the proposed amendment would be bad for business and for Minnesota's economy.
"Best Buy's silence on this discriminatory ballot measure is both economically and morally irresponsible," said Korando. "Laws that discriminate are never good for business because they undermine recruitment of top industry talent. Target and General Mills, two of the largest corporations based in Minnesota, understand this simple principle. So do the nearly 30,000 people who signed my petition. So why doesn't Best Buy?"
In May, Target released a statement saying that it "does not believe that a constitutional fight over the issue is good for Minnesota or the state's ability to attract jobs and grow the economy."
Following suit in June, General Mills said it does "not believe the proposed constitutional amendment is in the best interests of our employees or our state economy. We value diversity. We value inclusion."
Despite touting a 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, a ranking of the top LGBT-friendly employers, Best Buy came under considerable fire in 2010 for giving $100,000 to a political action committee that funneled money to anti-gay politicians. Best Buy's Corporate Equality Index score was then deducted to 85 in 2011, pending further evaluation.
Every time a person signs Andrew's Change.org petition, Best Buy's executive leadership and members of their employee LGBT group, PRIDE, are notified via email.
"Every day that Best Buy remains silent, Andrew's campaign continues to gain steam," said Mark Anthony Dingbaum, campaign manager at Change.org . "Using the very products that Best Buy offers to its customers, Andrew is mobilizing an army of nearly 30,000 consumers who will welcome their decision to speak out."
Live signature totals from Andrew Korando's campaign:
www.change.org/bestbuy
