The religious right hate groups have asked North Face, Nautica, Lee Jeans and the Chamber of Commerce to stay neutral while gays get legislative bullied in North Carolina, and what do you know - the companies are doing just that, sitting back quietly while their customers are being written out of the state constitution. And who's in the lead? The hideously anti civil rights Chamber of Commerce.
Dull is the vice president for strategy and innovation at Greensboro-based VF Corp., the parent company of clothing brands including The North Face, Nautica and Lee jeans. His corporation and others in North Carolina's influential business establishment haven't taken a public stand on the amendment, a contrast to Starbucks and Microsoft, whose support helped sway lawmakers in Washington state before gay marriage was approved there in February.You'll recall that the Chamber of Commerce also did the religious right's bidding in Tennessee when they got municipal gay and trans rights laws not just rescinded in that state, but got them banned permanently from ever coming up again.
North Carolina's chamber of commerce hasn't heard much from its members on the amendment and is staying neutral, CEO Lew Ebert said. Corporate neutrality is the aim of the National Organization for Marriage, a Washington, D.C., group fighting against gay marriage as North Carolina, Minnesota, Maryland and Maine head toward ballot measures this year. Washington state's gay marriage law could be put on hold by a referendum effort that would leave the decision to voters.
The statewide organization leading support of the amendment sent letters to the state and local chamber chapters. "We were requesting neutrality," said Tami Fitzgerald, chairwoman of Vote FOR Marriage NC.
