When I was in England last month, and since I did some cooking for friends, I did some grocery shopping at Tesco stores.
I am now irritated at Tesco, based on what I read in the UK’s best Catholic weekly, The Catholic Herald, by Francis Phillips. An excerpt:
[…]
Why on earth is Tesco promoting [London Pride, the UK’s largest gay festival]? Tesco is a supermarket; its remit has been to sell good-quality food and other items at very reasonable prices, and in this it has been hugely successful. Why has it now aligned itself with an aggressive political organisation such as Pride London? Why has it given up its sponsorship of Cancer Research? Or at least, if it has given up this sponsorship, why hasn’t it taken up with another mainstream charity such as the British Legion or Age UK? There are thousands of ex-servicemen and wounded soldiers needing help in this country, and millions of elderly people in danger of neglect. They are a fundamental part of the fabric of our society – the kind of fabric that Tesco should be reflecting. Why, why, why?
I understand that one in four of the British public shops at Tesco. It is certainly “diverse and international” and a place where “everyone is welcome” – whatever their orientation. Who cares about other people’s orientation when they are shopping? It’s about making ends meet, balancing the family’s food budget, getting value for money and picking up bargains (including Bogofs). I shop there and have done so for years. At its doors there are often charity workers asking for money – notably Children in Need and other worthwhile causes.
Inside the store you can see why it is so successful: organic food, Fairtrade, low-fat, corn-fed chickens, free-range eggs, a range of healthy options, vegetarian foods – any possible new demand has Tesco instantly on its heels with a shelf load of new items. For my taste there is too much Halloween junk, too much piped muzak, too much “Christmas cheer” too soon and too many Easter eggs on display by New Year’s Day – but these are small quibbles; that’s how a retail business works.
But to throw its enormous weight behind a marginal group (but which also has a determined and sinister political agenda) that does not in the least reflect the huge majority of its customers – why?
[…]
Good question.
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Why? Because it’s good business. They are not considered a “marginal group,” and haven’t been for many years. It is Catholics who are considered a marginal group. Francis Phillips needs to wake up the smell the coffee.
Why? Because like any good secular business model you have to move with the Zeitgeist. Fifteen years ago cancer research was popular. If you wore a pink ribbon you were considered kind, charitable and in with the times. It’s 2011, pffft, who cares about cancer any more? It’s all about the homosexual ‘rights’. Tesco know this, love this and are taking advantage of this. Tesco want to be seen as leaders in their field. Their competitors will be boycotted based on their bigotry for not supporting such initiatives, and Tesco will be celebrated as a store run by virtuous people of excellence who supported gay rights in a time of such opposition. At least, that’s what they’ll claim. It’s absolutely stunning how that line still works wonders but there it is.
The funny thing is that Tesco’s (and other companies, and other ideologies, groups and people) don’t actually care about the homosexual issue. They’re using it as a means to an end. Like everyone did with cancer 15 years ago, like everyone did with poverty 10 years ago, and like everyone did with aids 25 years ago. Best part about it is that the homosexual activists don’t even care. They’re all for it. Anything to normalize sin, to demonize anybody who opposes them. In 10 years time who knows what the next big thing will be? Paedophile rights? Who knows, but at least sodomy will be taught in schools as a good thing to do with all your buddies right!
Follow the money. Many times these companies are give huge amounts of money to support such things by the lgbt groups.
You’d think that supporting fat people would be more to their benefit. Customers living on arugula salads and Rye-Krisp don’t do much for the bottom line.
Because of the “pink pound” of course. It is considered that this group are a good investment and big spenders. Morals are not part of the supermarkets’ brief. Money is – oh and of course “diversity.”
I don’t know about Britain, but if the culture is anything like Germany’s, we really do have to worry about the future.Recently I travelled to Berlin, Germany as part of an exchange of federal legislative staff. One of the events we were brought to on the very first day was Christopher Street Day ( http://www.berlin.de/kultur-und-tickets/events/csd/index.en.php ).
This was presented as a totally normal event which celebrates Berlin’s culture — even by the CDU / CSU staff. When I asked if this was a “normal” thing, they saw it as a great “victory” for equality.
Because I was there on official business, I criticized nothing.
It’s really quite unbelievable.
“I shop there and have done so for years.”
The question for the writer is: Are you willing to no longer shop there?
I know that it requires a backbone to do so, but if Catholics were to boycott those companies that promote blatantly anti-Catholic agendas, perhaps those companies would suffer in their bottom line, and perhaps they might reconsider their anti-Catholic stance. Is it difficult to do? Sometimes yes. But, for example, if I’m at a restaurant that serves Pepsi, I’ll drink water instead. Not that big of a deal. There must be other grocery stores in the UK. Shop there instead. Perhaps you’ll need to drive or walk a little farther to do so, but God will reward your efforts.
Just my opinion – worth every penny that you paid for it!
I have boycotted every business which insists on supporting lgbt and abortion. It takes more time, but I do not want one penny of mine goingwhree to the evil one’s agenda. If I have to use something which is supporting such, like all the telecommunication giants, that is one thing, but I can easily shop somewhere else, like small local shops, or Aldis, Lidls, et al. Where the money goes is online in most cases. But, boycotts do change policies, as we got together in the Midwest and made Target back down on supporting PP.
PS Yes, I refuse to buy any Pepsico products or go to their fast food or other restaurants, and Coke does not support PP.
“organic food, Fairtrade, low-fat, corn-fed chickens, free-range eggs, a range of healthy options, vegetarian foods”
Sounds like a great store, actually, but does this mean Tesco’s caters to a trendy, young-ish crowd? (I don’t know – I’m just guessing based on these products.) In any event, Tesco’s evidently believes that supporting a homosexual march will not only not hurt, but may even help, their sales.
As previous posters have noted, only when customers go elsewhere do retailers take notice. There have been many, many, many companies, stores, and products I’ve avoided over the years due to their advertising or sponsorship of certain events, etc, and I used to write a lot of polite emails to those companies letting them know why I was taking my business elsewhere. However, I’m not sure how effective some organized boycotts are. If the UK equivalent of (for example) the Catholic League were to organize a boycott, they would most likely be giving Tesco’s publicity, and I’m guessing that in the UK, any boycotts based on sponsorship of a homosexual event would result in sympathy for Tesco’s. Not that that would be reason NOT to organize a boycott. It still might be the right way to go. I’m just not sure.
Seems to be in general less homophobia in some areas of society (this may be with younger generations) and also a recognition that the gay demographic has comparatively greater disposable income that others.
Again, the real issue is who is behind the money for these things. Tesco is just one company among many which support lgtb agendas. There is great money behind these things and also one must realize how many lgtb people there are in these businesses. Follow the money. There is a huge group involved in this–http://home.outattesco.com/
frjim4321: I don’t understand the first half of your post. Please define ‘homophobia’.
The pablum of “everyone is welcome”. Who is everyone? Who defines who is inside that group and who is without? According to what rules…whose (Whose) rules? Rules chosen by whom? Everyone includes bestiality and pedophiles. Or, to get above the belt, “everyone welcome [at the polls]” includes felons voting, as Hillary wants. This world is rotten when man follows his own darkened intellect and not psalm 1.
Joe: I’m using the generally agreed-upon notion of homophobia as fear and/or bigotry as directed against persons with a homosexual orientation, or directed within a person as fear, anger and/or confusion about latent homosexual tendencies.
fjim4321,
Your intentions are good, but I think, respectfully, you have missed the point that orchestrated activities which promote an evil life-style must be stopped, even at the corporate level. We have a right to point out businesses which cater to agendas which are antithetical to the teachings of Christ and His Church. Even in Great Britain, a country with which I am familiar, there is not a consensus on the gay agenda at all, and the acceptance of such celebrations is mixed, to say the least. These types of things are being pushed by groups who want the larger culture to accept their lifestyle. In other words, the powers of the lgtb groups want to change the entire culture.
Well I shaln’t be shopping there any more. That’s that. Which is a shame, as its is convenient and economical, so it will add both time and money. But that’s what principles are all about.
This has happened before, about 15 years ago our local pub became a “gay pub”, all painted black inside and out. It still belonged to the same brewery, but the “pink pound” was fashionable, and profitable. Then it changed, so it became an oriental-theme pub. Still the same brewery.
This the BAD side of the free-market economy. Like us, it’s free to be bad, and in being bad corrupts other people. Just like we do.
Because their consumer-information group has probably decided that it’s good for business, based on some focus group information and various calculations that are probably a company secret, but have been successful in predicting their market share. This is what companies do. It’s the goal of a company to make money, after all, not to evangelize the world, although sometimes that gets done as an unintended result, unfortunately. It’s sort of like accidental fallout.
frjim4321,
You protest a lot and you seem especially vehement today. You don’t shop at Tesco’s do you? I don’t, but probably only because I’m in the US. It’s a pretty big deal in the UK, I understand.
“Even in Great Britain, a country with which I am familiar, there is not a consensus on the gay agenda at all, and the acceptance of such celebrations is mixed, to say the least.”
Supertradmum: you said it. The British spirit is very much to let people get on with their own thing, provided it’s not actually illegal (or, even worse, frightening the horses) and one doesn’t have to agree with it.
Tesco operates in a big way here in Ireland as well and as it happens their store is the nearest to where I live. I haven’t gone there for a while because I’ve started supporting one of our home-grown stores, since I think giants like Tesco can operate unfairly in such a small market as ours and we do need to support our indigenous businesses. However this is yet another reason – ok, I accept that they operate in Ireland as Tesco Ireland and are not (as yet) supporting such in this country, but essentially it’s a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tesco UK.
Fr Jim: I just can’t understand what the first part of your comment is getting at. Yes, it’s very evident to everyone that there’s far less open prejudice against homosexuals than was the case even 20 years ago. That’s a good thing. But are you making a connection that Tesco’s support of London Pride is therefore praiseworthy in some way? I’m not sure we Catholics can make such a connection, because London Pride sets out to promote and glorify the homosexual lifestyle including, you can be sure, “marriage”. We can’t approve or condone an organisation promoting an objectively sinful way of life, even though we might agree that it is great that the horrible insults and even assaults directed at homosexuals are far less than in the recent past.
I agree with the second part of your comment. Yes, some segments of the “gay” population certainly do have a good level of disposable income. Well they would, wouldn’t they? No kids, for a start. However, from what I’ve noticed (and I’m speaking purely from my own experience here, in Ireland), the “pink pound (euro)” seems to be largely a middle-class/professional phenomenon. I know a number of people of this persuasion and the working class ones are all either unemployed or on fairly menial jobs. They can barely get through the week, let alone have anything left over.
Tesco sounds same as Home Depot. To my knowledge, Home Depot continues to actively support homosexual “pride” events. If anyone has learned to the contrary I’d be glad to learn of it myself.
introibo,
one reason I always boycotted Home Depot
Same, see my link above and this one
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/home-depot-tells-afa-take-hike
frjim4321;
You use the nouns fear and/or bigotry, anger and/or confusion. I’m glad you don’t mean “disagreement” or “disapproval”.
You must move in quite narrow circles if this is a “generally agreed-upon notion”. Except for the “confusion” part, because the word “homophobia” certainly demonstrates a lot of that.
The writer makes the mistake of seeing Tesco’s donation as political support for Gay Pride, or as a quasi-charitable donation.
But I should think it’s nothing of the sort, but merely marketing.
As someone said above, the “pink pound” is something that a lot of businesses have tried to chase in recent years (homosexuals tending to be childless and so tending to have more disposable income). Actually it’s a bit less fashionable to chase the pink pound now, but Tesco’s was always some way behind the fashions.
Tesco’s image is still somewhat “square” (sorry, dated slang, but it does sum it up), so some bright spark in marketing probably suggested that this sponsorship would “rebalance their dynamic towards an alpha market segment” or some such drivel.
RichardT
Tesco isn’t square, and if you check my link above, you will see why. Since 2007, the company has had a policy of hiring homosexuals who are out, and such people in Great Britain have known that. Like Home Depot in the States, Tesco has a diversity policy based on agenda, not only money. Two of the leading execs. are on the website. I can list it again, if you would like, but it is more than money-it is about lifestyle bullying.
Here is a quotation from the site:
“The Out at Tesco network is by far one of the most active LGB&T network in the United Kingdom. You will have the chance to meet people from various backgrounds, as our committee members work in different fields such as IT, Merchandising, Call centres, Clothing etc. The network is also strong of members from every work level, with great support from the Main Board and the Diversity Council.”
The truly alarming thing is how quickly all of this has happened. I went to junior high in the mid 1970s. A teacher showed us a film called Future Shock which among other things predicted the coming of same sex marriage. Every kid in the class started to make vomiting noises. And the teacher did nothing to discourage them. Less than forty years later students in California are being forced to learn about Great Sodomites of History. Future Shock is here!
Supertradmum, I’ve looked at the link, and I still don’t think it shows any active desire of Tesco’s to promote homosexuality.
First, it’s very small – 700 employees out of 472,000 is 0.14% (or 0.25% if you only count UK employees). That’s tiny even compared to the 1.5% in the UK who said they were homosexual when asked by a government survey.
Second, it doesn’t seem to be very influential. 0.25% of staff, one Board member who’s retiring next year, one member of a subsidiary board, and just 3 “local champions” for the whole country. Looks rather sad really.
It looks like something that’s been pushed by a few active people in the company (and with 472,000 employees there’s bound to be a few), the company didn’t feel it could say “no” in the current climate of political correctness – and didn’t want to upset employees. So it lets them set up the group, gives them a website and tea and biscuits for their meetings, and quietly gets on with running the country’s largest grocery business.
As evidence of which, there is also a Tesco Christian Fellowship, which even has a page of Christian teaching on its website, with all sorts of red-blooded stuff about sin and Hell (although it looks rather evangelical to me). They’re having a carol service in Head Office for Christmas, so the company clearly isn’t opposed to Christianity (despite its Jewish origins).
http://www.tescochristianfellowship.co.uk/joomla15/
It looks like normal big corporate stuff – if it keeps the employees happy and doesn’t cause a fuss, let it happen, but the company doesn’t really care either way.
Of course a truly Catholic company would act differently, but how likely are we to have big Catholic companies?
P.S. – other than occasionally shopping there, I’ve no connection with Tesco’s. Indeed 10 years ago when I was in practice, their main rival was one of my clients.
But I do think that claiming they are promoting a homosexual agenda is reading far too much into it. They’re just trying to make money.
“The Out at Tesco network is by far one of the most active LGB&T network in the United Kingdom”
With just 0.25% of the staff, and only 3 “local champions”, if that’s by far the most active network in the UK they don’t seem to be much of a threat.
“mid 1970s. A teacher showed us a film called Future Shock which among other things predicted the coming of same sex marriage. ”
In the mid 1970s?? Wow, how remarkably prescient. I had never even heard the issue discussed until about 10 years ago, when it became, seemingly overnight, what its proponents would have you believe is an obvious and fundamental human right denied only by people who hate gays and lesbians. Incredible.
What’s also incredible is that no other culture in history has ever discovered or recognized this “right.” Only ours, about a decade ago. Doesn’t that strike any ssm proponents as a little odd?
Joanne, Alvin Toffler wrote Future Shock in the late ’60’s. It was amazingly prescient. As prescient as Humana vitae.
RichardT,
Numbers has nothing to do with the activity. There are very few homosexuals in the USA and still their influence is much bigger than numbers. That is part of the problem, as this tiny minority has become an economic and political bully, big time. The other problem is the pro-homosexual agenda of the present British government.