I'm not here anymore. I'm now on my own website.... joeydestino.com
Please update your blogrolls, or your bookmarks, and most importantly, follow me on over.
Thanks!
jd
Friday, June 23, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Monday, June 19, 2006
Time to give it up
This is the last official post on this blog. Blogger's been good to me, but as Kathy Griffin would say, it's like someone I slept with too soon. Only there for its needs. Never considering my feelings. Never keeping it up when I need it the most.
Summer. How ironic I guess. How many times have I said goodbye in summer?
Well the astute among you who commented on the last post, which I forgot to delete, probably figured it out. This is the end.
So adios blogger. It was fun, but I know how to quit you. Tomorrow. Come back here. And I'll tell you where to go.
Tomorrow. Summer. My blog on my own website!!!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Is this apology from Macy's enough?
From MACY'S EAST CHAIRMAN & CEO RON KLEIN
To the members of the GLBT Community:
My appreciation goes to In Newsweekly for giving me the opportunity to shed some light on a very troublesome week in Boston.
First, let me stress that Macy's commitment to diversity and to the GLBT community is unwavering. Our history is rooted in inclusiveness, and it is a core principle of Macy's.
I do recognize, however, that during Boston Pride Week, our actions did not appear to support that commitment. Every one of us in the Macy's family sincerely regrets that what we had genuinely intended to be a celebration of Gay Pride Week became the center of a controversy.
For many years, our company has dedicated a window in our Downtown Crossing store in Boston to Pride Week, and we did so enthusiastically again this year.
When the controversy arose over the content of our display, the decision was made to maintain the display with no changes. We wanted to stand firm in our support of Boston Pride Week and the GLBT community - just as we always have.
Unfortunately, as sometimes happens in large organizations, a miscommunication occurred and the controversial mannequins were removed. Again, they were not removed because of pressure - but because of an internal breakdown in communication. Macy's mistake - unquestionably.
Some can also call our decision not to return the mannequins to the window a mistake. Historically, our windows dedicated to causes and celebrations have always been executed through the use of text and props such as posters. We traditionally do not feature mannequins in these "community windows" because the introduction of merchandise has no role in our tributes.
I would ask the GLBT community to consider all that we did do - and have done - for Pride Week and the GLBT community. We did feature the Pride Week calendar of events in our window; we have done so for many years and are committed to doing so in the future. We hope the GLBT community will look past one element in a window display and recognize the exemplary record Macy's has in support of diversity and the GLBT community. We are one of the most supportive companies in the country to our GLBT employees, including many members of senior management, as well as, vendors, and customers. Our annual support of Pride Week in Boston and in other cities across the country should clearly demonstrate our commitment.
Am I regretful that Macy's made a mis-step in this instance? Yes. I am also regretful that some may question our commitment to the GLBT community based on this incident.
However, I am hopeful that Macy's long track record of support for inclusion and diversity will be remembered by the GLBT community and will be a strong counterbalance now that the facts are known.
As a Macy's employee, I am proud that our company supports and marches in Pride parades in Boston, Atlanta, Minneapolis, St. Petersburg, Seattle, and New York City (where I have personally marched for several years). I am proud of Macy's participation in AIDS walks in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami and New York City. I am proud of Macy's Passport fashion event, held in San Francisco and Los Angeles, that has raised $21 million for HIV/AIDs research since 1988. I am proud of Macy's 86 ranking in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index - the second-highest ranking possible. And I'm proud of all the community partnerships, events, awards programs, marketing campaigns, recruiting efforts, and education and awareness programs undertaken by Macy's with and for the GLBT community.
I can tell you with deepest sincerity that Macy's commitment to diversity and to the GLBT community always will be an important part of our company and our community outreach.
So.
I don't know. I question why it took so long to respond. If they were truly sincere, the apology, and a replacement of the mannequins should have happened last week. Did it take seeing a loss of income coupled with protestors outside the stores and a lot of bad press to get the spin doctors in place?
Sorry. There's a bad taste in my mouth over this. My money is still going to go elsewhere for now until more is done. What say you?
To the members of the GLBT Community:
My appreciation goes to In Newsweekly for giving me the opportunity to shed some light on a very troublesome week in Boston.
First, let me stress that Macy's commitment to diversity and to the GLBT community is unwavering. Our history is rooted in inclusiveness, and it is a core principle of Macy's.
I do recognize, however, that during Boston Pride Week, our actions did not appear to support that commitment. Every one of us in the Macy's family sincerely regrets that what we had genuinely intended to be a celebration of Gay Pride Week became the center of a controversy.
For many years, our company has dedicated a window in our Downtown Crossing store in Boston to Pride Week, and we did so enthusiastically again this year.
When the controversy arose over the content of our display, the decision was made to maintain the display with no changes. We wanted to stand firm in our support of Boston Pride Week and the GLBT community - just as we always have.
Unfortunately, as sometimes happens in large organizations, a miscommunication occurred and the controversial mannequins were removed. Again, they were not removed because of pressure - but because of an internal breakdown in communication. Macy's mistake - unquestionably.
Some can also call our decision not to return the mannequins to the window a mistake. Historically, our windows dedicated to causes and celebrations have always been executed through the use of text and props such as posters. We traditionally do not feature mannequins in these "community windows" because the introduction of merchandise has no role in our tributes.
I would ask the GLBT community to consider all that we did do - and have done - for Pride Week and the GLBT community. We did feature the Pride Week calendar of events in our window; we have done so for many years and are committed to doing so in the future. We hope the GLBT community will look past one element in a window display and recognize the exemplary record Macy's has in support of diversity and the GLBT community. We are one of the most supportive companies in the country to our GLBT employees, including many members of senior management, as well as, vendors, and customers. Our annual support of Pride Week in Boston and in other cities across the country should clearly demonstrate our commitment.
Am I regretful that Macy's made a mis-step in this instance? Yes. I am also regretful that some may question our commitment to the GLBT community based on this incident.
However, I am hopeful that Macy's long track record of support for inclusion and diversity will be remembered by the GLBT community and will be a strong counterbalance now that the facts are known.
As a Macy's employee, I am proud that our company supports and marches in Pride parades in Boston, Atlanta, Minneapolis, St. Petersburg, Seattle, and New York City (where I have personally marched for several years). I am proud of Macy's participation in AIDS walks in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami and New York City. I am proud of Macy's Passport fashion event, held in San Francisco and Los Angeles, that has raised $21 million for HIV/AIDs research since 1988. I am proud of Macy's 86 ranking in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index - the second-highest ranking possible. And I'm proud of all the community partnerships, events, awards programs, marketing campaigns, recruiting efforts, and education and awareness programs undertaken by Macy's with and for the GLBT community.
I can tell you with deepest sincerity that Macy's commitment to diversity and to the GLBT community always will be an important part of our company and our community outreach.
So.
I don't know. I question why it took so long to respond. If they were truly sincere, the apology, and a replacement of the mannequins should have happened last week. Did it take seeing a loss of income coupled with protestors outside the stores and a lot of bad press to get the spin doctors in place?
Sorry. There's a bad taste in my mouth over this. My money is still going to go elsewhere for now until more is done. What say you?
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
I will not disappear.
A letter to Christine Stewart, Customer Service Specialist, Macy's; copied to terry.lundgren@federated-fds.com, thomas.cody@federated-fds.com, thomas.cole@federated-fds.com, janet.grove@federated-fds.com, susan.kronick@federated-fds.com, ronald.tysoe@federated-fds.com, karen.hoguet@federated-fds.com, kimberly.reason@macys.com, lisa.kauffman@macys.com, ellen.fruchtman@macys.com,
elina.kazan@macys.com,
ronnie.taffet@macys.com
Dear Ms. Stewart,
I was extremely saddened to learn of the decision of the Boston Macy's store to
remove part of it's Pride window display. Once I heard this, I sought out
before and after pictures of the display to see where the controversy stemmed. I fully expected to see that the display included some graphic sexual reference. This was not the case. What I saw was two men, not touching, just standing there. One man of color, and one man with a pride flag wrapped around his waist such as one would do with a jacket.
My how offensive that is!
Well. I m offended. As a gay man who spends a lot of his disposable income at
Macy's - who has always touted its diversity - I am heartily offended. I will not be spending any further money at any Macy's store or its parent company stores until an apology is sent to the gay community. Neither will any of my friends once they hear of this. Nor will my co-workers who were shocked when I showed them this as well.
What saddens me most, is the slap in the face to your gay employees. There are quite a few in case you didn't know.
I know, I know. Joey isn't exactly an activist. But with Republicans who publicly state the DOMA is the most important thing this country has to worry about, and the fact that a few right-wing wingnuts can push a little and get something like this to happen, well it just pisses me off and I am tired of it.
I WILL NOT DISAPPEAR!!!!
(I never thought I would hear myself say this...
I'm here. I'm gay. Get used to it. )
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Solidarity
This photo is from Kelly Stern at Rambling along in life. He has asked us to commemorate the Stonewall Riots by posting his photo.
Please visit his blog and read his awesome post.
Solidarity. It happened at Stonewall. Why can't it happen now? As Kelly says "Pride is not all about nekkid men and getting crazy,
but what has happened in our history...lets not forget..."
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