RENWL

Go girls: Phoenix Gay Chamber Of Commerce vs. HRC

Today Fox News ran a story on The Greater Phoenix Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce facing off with local gay groups about boycotts on Arizona. Check this out:

According to Fox News, the gay business group sent out a big email blast to all gay rights groups in Arizona asking in particular orgs like the Human Rights Campaign’s Arizona chapter and the National Gay And Lesbian Chamber Of Commerce to call off their boycott of the state.  But the orgs along with other gay groups against the anti-immigration law now in effect in Arizona have stood their ground and refuse to lift the boycotts.

Joseph Gesullo, chairman of the Phoenix gay chamber, told Fox News that the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber Of Commerce who was among 21 gay groups collectively boycotting Arizona has since softened their tone and offered a letter of support to LGBT businesses in the state. On the other hand says Gesullo, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) won’t budge.  He accuses the agency of grandstanding and ignorance about the details of the anti-immigration law.

“They haven’t even read SB 1070. … They don’t even really know what’s going on around here,”  says Gesullo. “It’s really just hurting the people of Arizona.”

But HRC insists that Gesullo is making a big deal out of nothing. The org says the boycott is aimed only at bringing  conferences and meetings to the state. This specific action does not impact day to day business and revenue of LGBT business owners. Gesullo however wants the boycotts stopped completely.

“We’re not backing off of this position, because we think it’s a principled stand against SB 1070,” Human Rights Campaign spokesman Fred Sainz told FoxNews.com. “We don’t share the opinion … that it’s going to result in these things that the Phoenix folks do.

To get the rest of this drama:

Fox News: Gay Advocacy Groups Battle Over Arizona Boycott