The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce wants to talk to Kroger. The NGLCC has asked to meet with Kroger executives and help the nation's largest traditional grocery chain "correct" the mistake it made when it banned a gay newspaper from Kroger stores here in Nashville.
In a letter addressed to Cincinnati-based Kroger CEO, David Dillon, the NGLCC advised, "It is disappointing to see a company that is such a pillar of the local community play party to homophobia put forward by those on the fringe." [emphasis added]
After banning Out and About, Kroger issued a statement which claimed the store has a policy of Not distributing publications that "promote political, religious, or other specific agendas."
But the only agenda the Nashville Kroger office is really thinking about is the so-called "gay agenda." Nashville Kroger stores offer other free papers and they promote plenty of agendas. Atlanta and Houston Kroger stores offer gay newspapers in their rack space.
In what amounts to astonishing honesty, Nashville Kroger spokeswoman "Melissa Eads said the policy speaks for itself and declined to answer further questions." [(615) 871-2500 / melissa.eads@kroger.com]
Perhaps the Nashville Kroger office is staffed by folks from Rhea County.
Contact the Cincinnati-based Kroger headquarters and ask them if they really think Nashville deserves to be singled out for a special policy of homophobia, while Kroger stores in other cities have a policy which acknowledges that gays, and their allies, buy groceries too.
Read the letter from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. (And check out the other store names that Kroger goes by.)
According to its website: "The NGLCC represents the interests of an estimated 800,000 to 1.4 million LGBT owned businesses. Through its network of 45 based chambers and business organizations as well as 9 internationally, the NGLCC is the largest LGBT business development and economic advocacy organization in the world."
Previously: News of Kroger's Anti-Gay Bias Spreads
Nashville Kroger’s Anti Gay Agenda
Gay News Out and About Kroger Nashville Tennessee Homophobia GLBT Politics NGLCC Banned Gay Newspaper
