Jackson Free Press

If you hold a boycott and no one notices, did it ever happen?

On Sept. 5, Tupelo-based American Family Association ended its three-year boycott of Home Depot stores. The AFA, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has identified as an anti-gay hate group (spokesman Bryan Fischer recently sided with Russia for its controversial anti-LGBT legislation, saying Russia understands " that homosexual behavior is a moral evil among teenagers"), declared victory in a fund-raising email from Tim Wildmon, the organization's president.

"After monitoring the company for several months, AFA is satisfied (Home Depot) has withdrawn its major financial contributions to gay activist groups and events," the email stated. "I truly believe this is a direct result of your willingness to become involved. In fact, more than 750,000 people signed the Boycott Home Depot Pledge."

The email did not say what activities AFA has been monitoring, nor did it spell out the "gay groups and events" from which Home Depot has withdrawn its "major financial contributions." It also didn't make any statement on any financial impact of its boycott. It did say, however, that "Home Depot will publicly deny having made changes."

Right on cue, Home Depot denied making any changes—apparently in line with its policy of ignoring the AFA as much as it possibly can.

In a story on the http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/09/06/2581401/american-family-association-ends-home-depot-boycott/">ThinkProgress website, Home Depot spokesman Stephen Holmes responded to the AFA claim:

"We haven’t made any changes to our policies for inclusion and respect of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation. We have not directed our associates to discontinue participation in Pride or other community events, and have no intention of doing so."

ThinkProgress continued:

Executives at the Home Depot have regularly rebuffed the AFA at shareholder meetings, ignoring the boycott entirely. In the past, AFA claimed that Home Depot was doing less to warrant a boycott, but continued the boycott anyway. It thus makes no sense that the boycott has ended now—when little else has changed—except that AFA has given up on the ineffective campaign.

Home Depot continues to offer a multitude of services to support diversity within its workforce, including a Pride Network Associate Resource Group. It also maintains an official partnership with numerous community organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, to support its diversity initiatives.