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Is Mike Duke Anti-Gay Rights?

To anyone who has read this blog, Wal-Mart’s conservative Republican agenda is no secret. For years, the Walton family and company execs have used their power and money to advance a political agenda that is almost always at odds with their associates and customers.

Over the weekend, the website knowthyneighbor.org revealed that Mike Duke signed a petition to put an anti-gay adoption ban on the ballot in Arkansas. (Mike Duke’s signature below was pulled off the actual PDF provided by the Secretary of State.)

We still don’t know a huge amount about Mike Duke. We know that he has donated to conservative, uber-religious Republicans like Mike Huckabee and John Boozman - as well as John McCain for President in 2008. We know that he has never shown that his political agenda is out of line with the Waltons - who selected him to succeed Lee Scott as the 4th CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Why does this matter? Because the extreme right-wing agenda of the Walton Family and company executives permeates the entire company.

This is a company who’s executives dressed up in drag and mocked women at a national meeting. This is a company that has repeatedly cowed to religious groups who urged them to pull support from any LGBT organizations. This is a company who has a slew of sexual discrimination cases against it, and was labeled “do not buy” by the Human Rights Campaign for its treatment of its LGBT associates.

It’s an unfortunate trend - for those of us who hoped Mike Duke might start to lead Wal-Mart in a different direction, and for Wal-Mart execs who won’t find this publicity helpful in their quest to expand their universe of customers.

Posted by Eric Bull on Monday, May 04, 2009

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COMMENTS

This is a company...

Perhaps Mike Duke is trying to mend fences with Wal-Mart’s cracker constituency. If you will recall a couple of years back, the Beast of Bentonville got into hot water for joining the Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

“A better legacy than a Wal-Mart would be a vacant lot.” ~ Linda Bevard

Ken V in Texas
Monday, May 04 at 03:21 PM

Ken you make the point—dammned if they do, dammned if they don’t. Isn’t it Mike Duke’s freedom to sign what ever petition he wants—don’t the union people on here do it all the time?

Personally I am completely against gays adopting children. Do you really want two men adopting a daughter—how do you think she would be raised? What about peer pressure?

The Sage in
Tuesday, May 05 at 05:54 PM

The Sage

Another ignorant homophobe heard from!

Big D in
Tuesday, May 05 at 08:30 PM

BIG DUUUUHH!

Nice to read your very erudite post.

But Duh you forgot about back in Texas when after years I finally got a 79 on the IQ test and had to pass that aluminum foil Dunce Hat on to you because you couldn’t get past 67.
You didn’t really forget those days in Texas did you?

The Sage in
Tuesday, May 05 at 10:27 PM

SAGE

Oooooooo! You really got me on that one. BTW you must have worked on that for quite some time and I applaud your effort, just as I would any special Olympian. Bravo!

But you have me mistaken; I’ve never lived in Texas!

P.S.
Watch out for the boogie man! lol

Big D in
Wednesday, May 06 at 12:02 AM

SAGE

I guess that I should have called you a stupid homophobe, but I thought that I would give you the benefit of the doubt. I’m glad you straightened me out!

Big D in
Wednesday, May 06 at 01:22 AM

—dammned if they do, dammned if they don’t.

We agree then, Wal-Mart is damned.

Wal-mart is the most sued company in the world. ~ Orrin Woodward

Ken V in Texas
Wednesday, May 06 at 05:59 AM

“Sage”,

You still haven’t forgot the $200 you owe me from the bet you lost have you? You have been a weasel for not paying up. I can however realize and accept your not wanting to fund the SEIU. Instead of sending it to the SEIU or a Ron Paul fundraiser, you can send it to-

The Turning Point Ministries
10007 Riverford Road
Lakeside, CA 92040

WalMart- Speaking of weasels, we don’t ‘pay up’ either.

SanDiegoView in WalMart finances Chinese Communism
Wednesday, May 06 at 08:07 AM

SDV,

“The Turning Point Ministries”

Is that the group that runs the half-way house you live at?

RDS in
Friday, May 08 at 10:14 AM

I’ve already stopped shopping at Wal-Mart once I heard of this! I’ve sent emails to friends and told other friends to stop shopping there as well. Everyone should boycott Wal-Mart!

Sister Sally in Ark
Monday, May 11 at 11:00 PM

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