Target Apologizes For Anti-Gay Donation ... But Is It Enough?

Target's CEO Gregg Steinhafel has issued an apology to all Target employees saying that he regrets the uproar that the corporation's $150,000 donation in support of an anti-gay candidate in Minnesota, Tom Emmer, has brought the company. His note went out to all Target employees this afternoon -- it was just directed to employees, and not to the public -- saying that Target will try to be more careful in the future about which candidates it gives money to.

Here's Steinhafel's words, which clearly recognize the immense scrutiny the company has been under over the past two weeks.

"While I firmly believe that a business climate conducive to growth is critical to our future, I realize our decision affected many of you in a way I did not anticipate, and for that I am genuinely sorry," Steinhafel wrote to his company's workforce. "The diversity of our team is an important aspect of our unique culture and our success as a company, and we did not mean to disappoint you, our team or our valued guests."

He then added that Target will set up an internal review process for future political donations, though he did not specify whether a candidate's beliefs on LGBT rights will be a piece of that review process's criteria.

Is this enough to appease those who wrote the company in outrage over their donation, and pledged to not shop there until the company made amends?

Depends on who you ask. For activists who feel completely burned that Target would give six figures to a candidate with beliefs like Tom Emmer -- he's against gay marriage, has tried to prevent gays and lesbians from becoming parents, and pals around with a religious ministry that advocates violence toward LGBT people -- the apology seems like it's skirting around the controversy.

For starters, Target doesn't address Tom Emmer's beliefs about LGBT people, nor do they pledge to stay out of the election process at all (much like Goldman Sachs did earlier this week). From what it seems, Steinhafel regrets the negative publicity that the company has received, and the dinged reputation the company has received among some customers. He's also not exactly requesting the company's $150,000 back, nor is he making a $150,000 donation to an equal rights candidate, which is what many activists are hoping the company would do.

Monica Meyer, the E.D. of OutFront Minnesota, said that she welcomes this apology from Target, but seemed to think that people will be quite a bit standoff-ish toward the company until further amends are made.

"We appreciate they are taking this really seriously," Meyer said. "People will feel good about being heard. Some will still probably be holding back to wait and see what the next statement and the next move is."

Sure, it does feel good that Target is hearing the outcry, and realizing that it dug itself a giant hole. But wouldn't true reconciliation in this situation mean a pledge to never back a candidate who takes a strong anti-LGBT platform, or perhaps never trying to buy an election at all?

Seems to me like that's where we ought to be pushing corporations, especially post Citizens United. "Genuinely sorry," Mr. Steinhafel? Great. Now do something to prove it, because your customers deserve to know that they won't be betrayed by anti-gay donations in the future.

Photo credit: Andrew Feinberg