MINNESOTA – After months of national protests from some of the largest LGBT organizations, it was Lady Gaga that finally convinced Target to change how it determines which organizations receive its charitable donations.
Target, which has 1,743 stores across the country, donated $150,000 of corporate funds to support political action group, Minnesota Forward, who had supported Tom Emmer in his failed attempt to run for governor of Minnesota. Emmer had supported a constitutional ban on gay marriage and had donated to a Christian punk rock ministry, You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International. In the past, Target has also donated considerable sums to organizations that support those who discriminate or even advocate death and violence to gays.
Chief executive of Target, Gregg Steinhafel, has apologized for the donation to Minnesota Forward and, following a meeting with Lady Gaga, the company has promised to stop the donations and give to LGBT groups.
“That discussion was one of the most intense conversations I’ve ever had in a business meeting.” Lady Gaga said. “Part of my deal with Target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they’ve made in the past … our relationship is hinged upon their reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they’ve made supporting those [antigay] groups.”
Target has committed $500,000 to LGBT community projects, although that is a tiny fraction of the $156 million it donates every year to community efforts.
Dustee Tucker Jenkins, vice president of Target told Billboard magazine, “It is part of our hearts to care about this issue. It’s who we are. Around this, we’ve established this policy committee because we understand the importance of decisions like this one and we want to be more thoughtful. We said that we’re giving almost half a million dollars already in 2011 because we want to demonstrate our commitment to the LGBT community,”
A special edition of Lady Gaga’s single, “Born This Way”, is exclusively available at Target.
Lady Gaga is outstanding. She is not great singer, but her songs are impossible to forget. Her videos are something like Michael Jackson did. I am very interested what she will do in the future.