TESCO

I am boycotting tesco from today as they have cancelled their support for Cancer Research in pavour of Gay Parade.

http://ipetitions.com/petition/boycott-tesco/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=system&utm_campaign=Send%2Bto%2BFriend

Bit misleading really isn't it.

They haven't ended their 10 year long, massively successful relationship with Cancer Research "in favour" of sponsoring Gay Pride have they?

They're not going to replace the Race for Life, with the Race for Gays. There won't be buckets at the checkouts collecting for those poor souls infected with terminal lesbianism?

They're just sponsoring an event aren't they? They've decided to sponsor an event, in the same week as they've stopped sponsoring a charity. No connection between those two things at all.

Doubtless Tesco will pretty soon announce another charity they will be throwing their hefty weight behind. Let's just hope it doesn't upset the mental Christians any further - though I have heard it's a toss up between Money for Muslims and the NSPCC. So the boycott could yet gain more momentum in church circles.

oh great, another homophobc, moronic petition. What's wrong with people that they can't accept gays, is it that they feel insecure, or are they just stupid enough to let themselves be brainwashed by religious extremists. Pathetic!

Like ED says, all a bit misleading, and I'm sure TESCO will be supporting some other charity fairly soon.

If all the charites who research different cancers actually pooled their resources together, they'd probably have double the chance of reaching their 'target'.
Personally I gave up on cancer charities a few years ago for this reason amongst others, having regularly given to Breakthrough I decided to move my support to Cancer Research, I suddenly got plagued with phone calls and begging letters from around 30 different charities some of whom I had to Google just to find out their aims.
I decided to do some research of my own, I soon realised just how little of the money given actually went to any kind of research at all, most of it was swallowed up by 'administration' and silly wages for those who ran the charities and what little that was left was spread thinly between many disparate 'researches', a giant waste of time and money IMO.
The ONLY charity that has anything to do with cancer that I'll now support is Macmillan Cancer Support, simply because I can actually see what's being done with the money I give, instead of seeing it 'disappear'.

Cancer Research is subsidised by the government because of the mortality rate, pro-gay charities are not at all. What's the problem?

Cari wrote:Cancer Research is subsidised by the government because of the mortality rate, pro-gay charities are not at all. What's the problem?

Why give money to them, what's wrong with them that they need money more than orphans, homeless,ill children, fragile elderly and incurably sick?

Just a cheap political move, nothing else.

Think about it and stop burying your cowardly heads in the sand.

Don't buy everything media brainwashes you with...can't you see where is all going?

You can save a few pence shopping there but you're selling your souls for pittance. So sad.

I am not condemning or judging, far from it.

sure "you're selling your souls" isn't judging or condemning at all. what do you mean by "where it's all going"? You mean somewhere we won't have to put up with people like you's homophobic bile any longer? yes please...

Mad for Chelsea wrote:sure "you're selling your souls" isn't judging or condemning at all. what do you mean by "where it's all going"? You mean somewhere we won't have to put up with people like you's homophobic bile any longer? yes please...

no it's not condemning, it's meant to be a wake-up call.
And since you are on the go, why do homosexuals need any support through charities? So they can buy more vaseline, wigs,make up or what?

To be fair I am not fan of Cancer Research UK. They are the richest charity out there and I am not a fan of their aggressive fund raising exploits neither.

That said, homosexuality is widely accepted nowadays. Hence why Boy George is peed off being gay because it isnt taboo anymore.

Not sounding harsh, but there is enough gays and people with cancer in the world, why don't Tesco support animal charites who look at protecting endangered species.

the Gay Parade isn't a charity, it's an event to try and make people like you NITB realise that the world has moved on since the middle ages. You say "it's not condemning, it's meant to be a wake-up call.", a wake-up call to what exactly? What exactly do you have against gay people? Do you really think you (or anyone else) has the right to tell others how they should live?

I agree LK, they're plenty of worthy causes in the world, but somehow doubt NITB would have found this so disgraceful if they were supporting those who protect endangered species. When I read comments like those by NITB, I sometimes wonder just how "widely accepted" homosexuality is though...

Mad for Chelsea wrote:the Gay Parade isn't a charity, it's an event to try and make people like you NITB realise that the world has moved on since the middle ages. You say "it's not condemning, it's meant to be a wake-up call.", a wake-up call to what exactly? What exactly do you have against gay people? Do you really think you (or anyone else) has the right to tell others how they should live?

I agree LK, they're plenty of worthy causes in the world, but somehow doubt NITB would have found this so disgraceful if they were supporting those who protect endangered species. When I read comments like those by NITB, I sometimes wonder just how "widely accepted" homosexuality is though...

What exactly are they trying to make you and me aware of, please tell!

maybe that there's nothing wrong or reprehensible about being gay

Mad for Chelsea wrote:maybe that there's nothing wrong or reprehensible about being gay

you didn't answer the question. What exactly do they need TESCO's money for? Why do they need to block traffic every year and make a nuisance of themselves?
Who cares?
Hey, I'm upset young people don't like the Beatles these days, shall I organise a parade?

Since this seems on topic:

http://www.allout.org/en/actions/russia_silenced/taf

"Political leaders in St. Petersburg are about to vote on law that will make it illegal for any person to write a book, publish an article or speak in public about being gay, lesbian, bi or transgender. The ruling party led by President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin could make millions of people invisible with the stroke of a pen. "

Just how "widely accepted" is homosexuality looking now? NITB, I believe this article answers your question as to why the Gay Parade is still needed, and will continue to be so until attitudes like this are non-existent.

Sorry, but this is a bit of a joke. Is being gay now considered a disability that requires these massive organisations to donate money to the cause? No it's isn't.

Surely, there's millions of other worthwhile causes they could support?

Does the FA Cup need Budweiser's money? Is football a disability?
Does the London Marathon need Flora's money? Is athletics a disability?
Does the Brit Awards need Mastercard's money? Musical ability is now a disability?

No-one has said it is a charitable cause. They are sponsoring an event! They probably sponsor 100's of events every year! Why? Because the event gets more funding, becomes more mainstream and professional, and Tesco gets it's name on the telly when they show the footage.

It has absolutely nothing to do with Cancer Research. You seem to think that they have taken all the money they give to Cancer Research and given it to Gay Pride instead. It's as if the CEO of Tesco has announced on live TV, whilst naked but for a gimp mask, "fu** computers for school, let's give gays lube and butt plugs instead".

They are stories related only by company name, and time of announcement. One is not replacing the other.

Open your eyes for christ's sake.

It's blatantly obvious that they aren't pulling out of cancer research and giving it all to gay pride. If you can't see the difference between the reasons for sponsoring sports and entertainments industry and, well a bit of a knees up, then that's your problem.

It really isn't a problem - that's the whole point. Doesn't bother me in the slightest.

It's not the first time on this board that people seem to have forgotten that Tesco is a commercial entity that can do whatever the hell it wants with it's money. They have no obligation to the general public whatsoever when deciding how to distribute it's profits.

If a few religious nuts want to boycott - I'm sure they'll be able to deal with the loss in time. They might have to run a few mega-deals on tea and cakes to get sales on those lines back up, but they will.

Of course it's not a problem, and they can put their money where they like. Just because I disagree it doesn't make me homophobic, I'm just stating I think it's money that could be better used, if that makes me a "religious nut", well you couldn't be more wrong. Nice bit of sarcasm though, very clever.

Thanks.

I'm not calling you a homophobe - I wouldn't say that mate. And i respect your opinion.
Nor did I call you a religous nut. That was in reference to who the petition has been set-up by - Christian Voice, and this awful, simply awful message that they have attached to it which completely invalidates any credibility the petition might have had, or any credibility Christian Voice may have had;

Retail giant Tesco have stopped sponsoring Cancer Research UK and switched their support to that annual display of aggression and depravity, London Gay Pride.

We the undersigned intend to boycott Tesco, protest to their directors and pray for confusion in their boardroom.

I think a lot of the issue with gays stems from things such as parades. Can't help but feel that they'd be much more widely accepted if they just quietly went about their lives.

I know a gay couple, and they're both as normal as you and I. Dress normally, speak normally, but are openly gay and that is a heck of a lot easier to accept than someone speaking in a ridiculous tone (they're not born with it, I remember a gay mate of mine at school suddenly changed the way he spoke within a year of announcing he was gay).

So, my own view is that such parades and displays of 'look at us, we don't care and we will express ourselves' only adds to any underlying resentment that some citizens may have about gays.

Agree with the thought about sponsoring animal charities looking to protect endangered species. The list is ever growing in this day and age, and they need all the help they can get. Government money will continue to go toward cancer research, as it should, and a company as big as Tesco could have a real impact on rainforest preservation, anti-poaching and the like.

Please, please read;

http://www.tescoplc.com/media/60113/tesco_cr_report_2011_final.pdf

As early as page 3 is a commitment to 0% net deforestation by 2020. As well as a vast amount of commitments to sustainability - not as a charitable donation, but as part of their overall corporate strategy - which is an even better commitment than a few pounds.

That's great if that is policy of theirs, electric demon. I wasn't aiming that at Tesco in particular, but at all of the big organisations. Fair play to them if they're pursuing such goals as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.

Sainsbury's do more. Their sustainability report is huge.
Marks and Spencer's is even bigger.

Just a thought - how bad a strategy would promoting homosexuality be for a supermarket? Surely reducing future populations and therefore grocery spend

Haha! A very good point! Increased sales of vaseline though, I guess.

Swings and roundabouts.

Electric Demon wrote:Thanks.

I'm not calling you a homophobe - I wouldn't say that mate. And i respect your opinion.
Nor did I call you a religous nut. That was in reference to who the petition has been set-up by - Christian Voice, and this awful, simply awful message that they have attached to it which completely invalidates any credibility the petition might have had, or any credibility Christian Voice may have had;

Retail giant Tesco have stopped sponsoring Cancer Research UK and switched their support to that annual display of aggression and depravity, London Gay Pride.

We the undersigned intend to boycott Tesco, protest to their directors and pray for confusion in their boardroom.

Seems we got our wires crossed. I think it's obvious that Christian Voice hace alterior motives behind the petition and have twisted it. I wouldn't boycott Tesco because of this (I don't shop there anyway) but just don't think it's necessary.

I agree with ED. Tesco are free to do what and how with their money.

I find it annoying when people bang the drum about 'Cancer Research UK' not getting enough in the way of funding. This is a charity that turned over £50M from Apr 2009-2010. £50M!!! Yet where I live out by Hove is a charity run hospice for terminally ill cancer patients seeing out their final weeks/days called 'The Martlets' sadly and recently they had to close their day care unit because of lack of funding. All they required was £30K to keep it running. Now I ask the OP, where the flip was Cancer Research a charity who turned over £50m could not subsidise £30K???

Cancer Research UK like other charities, such as Oxfam, RSPCA and Barnado's suffer from commericalisation so the intentions and goals they set out when they were forming in my mind have no doubt fallen off their priority. I remember going for a job with Cancer Research UK 2 years ago in their business unit and their operational costs at the time exceeded £40M??? That was not including the charitable work they carried out!!!

Companies like Tesco's have done an awful lot in recent years to change the way the conduct business. Commitment to environmental projects such as purchasing materials which are resourced sustainbly and also investing in area's such as helping Coco Cola preserve as much of the 'clean' water which only accounts for 2% of the Earth's water. Also they purchase from British Farmers so that they have jobs and are able to stimulate the economy. Remember when they were providing sports vouchers so that kids and schools could have the necessary equipment to play sport?

Sponsoring a day out for Gays is not such a big deal in the scheme of things given what they have done for the public. If the proceeds of such events go to causes such as the 'Freddie Mercury Foundation' then I am one all for such an event.

Nice post LK. Wasn't aware that Cancer Research UK were so inefficient - maybe even a factor in Tesco's decision?

Electric Demon wrote:Nice post LK. Wasn't aware that Cancer Research UK were so inefficient - maybe even a factor in Tesco's decision?

It could well be ED, or just that Cancer Research is 'cash rich' and already have enough fund raising schemes in place. That story about the hospice out my neck of the woods and having had my Grandparents go out there was heartbreaking, the work the staff put in was second to none. They even took in my friends Mum who was dying from Motor Neurons Syndrome (which is not a cancer illness) So that is why I ask about the morality of CR given that all it would've costed was £30K to keep their day unit open so that they could take in more patients. That is another story though.

I won't deny that Cancer Research has done remarkable things and is a success as an organisation, but their are other charities out there that do not have the same level of funding or commercial power as CR and struggle year in and year out. Some of my friends dislike CR because their 'fund raising' tactics are so 'aggressive' a friend of mine called them once for some help and in the end turned into 'why haven't you donated to us before?'

I am all for helping charities get their fair share of the cake.

noleisthebest wrote:why do homosexuals need any support through charities? So they can buy more vaseline, wigs,make up or what?

You seem to have confused homosexuality with transvestism. It's a shame you don't seem to realise that most gay men are as 'normal' as anyone else, and the chances are you wouldn't know they were gay unless they told you.

I think that gay parades bring people together.
A fine example of that was at a gay event in Nottingham some years ago. There was a group of jews at the entrance a stones throw away from a group of muslims. They were both screaming hate calling all the event attendees sinners.
I thought to myself that given these two religions history and the modern day battles which they afflict on each other, how nice it was to see them focusing on their similarities.

noleisthebest wrote:

Cari wrote:Cancer Research is subsidised by the government because of the mortality rate, pro-gay charities are not at all. What's the problem?

Why give money to them, what's wrong with them that they need money more than orphans, homeless,ill children, fragile elderly and incurably sick?

There are an abundance of charities and government departments that support the groups of people you have listed there too. Many of them have been around for well over a century.

Tesco are sponsoring a community event, not individuals for being gay. Tesco sponsoring a Gay Pride festival is no different from them sponsoring any other community carnival or fete. Local businesses have been doing that for years up and down the country, it's good for the community event, and for that sponsor to do it. You're reading too much into this. If Tesco said they were sponsoring local agricultural shows instead of Cancer Research, would you moan about that? It seems to me you have an issue with the Gay Pride event and what it stands for itself, rather than the sponsorship change.

legendkillar wrote:
I am all for helping charities get their fair share of the cake.

Except for Obesity charities obviously

At the end of the day, Tesco took a business decision. I don't think Tesco or any other sponsor would support a cause that is not popular. They have weighted pro gays versus non pro gays and thought it made more business sense supporting gays and pro-gays which has much more awareness amongst us all than any particular form of cancer or starvation around the world.

Such decisions are not taken on what is right or wrong but on how it affects us (potential Tesco customers) directly and emotionally. Though it's great to support Brest Cancer, essentially only those directly affected by it are going to take note of Tesco's support. No one is going to be against and therefore it has little exposure. Supporting gays on the other end is going to get more exposure, of course, a riskier choice in theory but one which is going to be affect directly gays and those who like to be perceived as pro-gays. And that's what they wanted. When I say it was a riskier choice, that's not quite true as it was a very calcualted choice first and foremost.

Thanks to "us", Tesco made the right business choice....possibly.

noleisthebest wrote:

Mad for Chelsea wrote:sure "you're selling your souls" isn't judging or condemning at all. what do you mean by "where it's all going"? You mean somewhere we won't have to put up with people like you's homophobic bile any longer? yes please...

no it's not condemning, it's meant to be a wake-up call.
And since you are on the go, why do homosexuals need any support through charities? So they can buy more vaseline, wigs,make up or what?

NITB: can you stop annoying people all around the forum with your very homofobic stance against gay persons?

It is clear that there is a need to spend money to rise awareness on this issue and you seem to be the perfect advertisement to that!

Live and let it live

Jeremy_Kyle wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

Mad for Chelsea wrote:sure "you're selling your souls" isn't judging or condemning at all. what do you mean by "where it's all going"? You mean somewhere we won't have to put up with people like you's homophobic bile any longer? yes please...

no it's not condemning, it's meant to be a wake-up call.
And since you are on the go, why do homosexuals need any support through charities? So they can buy more vaseline, wigs,make up or what?

NITB: can you stop annoying people all around the forum with your very homofobic stance against gay persons?

It is clear that there is a need to spend money to rise awareness on this issue and you seem to be the perfect advertisement to that!

Live and let it live

Indeed, I wish they'd leave us alone .

Interesting development since I stopped shopping in Tesco:

http://money.uk.msn.com/features/where-tesco-went-wrong-in-the-uk

None of the reasons listed have anything to do with supporting Gay Parade though.

Crimey wrote:None of the reasons listed have anything to do with supporting Gay Parade though.

You don't expect THEM to mention God, do you? God moves in mysterious ways.

Fists has it spot on. I work security for an airline company most of the time and as you'd imagine gays there are about 10 a penny. More often than not they'll see one of those parades going on and hold their heads in their hands. Much like when muslims in luton see al mahajiroun in the street - they cross the road or get the literature and tear off where it says gods/prophets name and throw the rest away . Theres this drive to push people into forming a single belief and the overt manner in which it is done invites resistance.

One thing irks me though, is how everyone has to have a group and a politician has to go around bumming them individually to get votes. I'd love someone to stand up and say, i'll treat you all like humans and won't consider your differences at all.

ShahenshahG wrote:Fists has it spot on. I work security for an airline company most of the time and as you'd imagine gays there are about 10 a penny. More often than not they'll see one of those parades going on and hold their heads in their hands. Much like when muslims in luton see al mahajiroun in the street - they cross the road or get the literature and tear off where it says gods/prophets name and throw the rest away . Theres this drive to push people into forming a single belief and the overt manner in which it is done invites resistance.

One thing irks me though, is how everyone has to have a group and a politician has to go around bumming them individually to get votes. I'd love someone to stand up and say, i'll treat you all like humans and won't consider your differences at all.

Interesting choice of phraseology there Shah given the topic theme!

noleisthebest wrote:

Crimey wrote:None of the reasons listed have anything to do with supporting Gay Parade though.

You don't expect THEM to mention God, do you? God moves in mysterious ways.

I think you should nail yourself to a cross in protest.

At least we wouldn't have to suffer your moronic views for a short while.