Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 08:41:12 -1000 From: Mia H H Lam Subject: GAY RIGHTS GROUP BLASTS RED LOBSTER RESTAURANTS; (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 06:18:49 -1000 From: Patricia Shields Subject: GAY RIGHTS GROUP BLASTS RED LOBSTER RESTAURANTS; (fwd) Get 'em where it hurts the most...in the pocketbook! ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 13:26:16 -1000 From: Tracey Bennett To: shields@hawaii.edu, dougmikk@hawaii.edu, perlita@hawaii.edu Subject: GAY RIGHTS GROUP BLASTS RED LOBSTER RESTAURANTS; This is being forwarded from an email list server.. ************************************** While I never eat at Red Lobster but have occasionally dined at its sister restaurant, The Olive Garden, I found the press-release below made me very angry. After the press release, I added information on Red Lobster and other restaurants owned by Darden Restaurants, Inc. I plan to contact all three chains and inform that they I will no longer patronize their establishments and will urge others not to patronize them until this request by Red Lobster is dropped and Darden apologies for their action. ******************************************************** Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 18:45:47 -0500 From: Jim Yorton Subject: Red Lobster and Cook County Ordinance For Immediate Release Contact: Rick Garcia July 10, 1998 773-244-3371 GAY RIGHTS GROUP BLASTS RED LOBSTER RESTAURANTS; Chain Challenges Cook County Gay Rights Ordinance An Illinois state wide gay rights group has blasted an attempt by Red Lobster restaurants to have the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance declared unconstitutional. The gay group threatened to mount a "public awareness and education campaign" against the restaurants. "That a national restaurant chain would seek to overturn civil rights legislation is as unconscionable as it is disgusting," said Rick Garcia, director of the Illinois Federation For Human Rights. "We will not stand idly by when anyone attempts to undo the hard fought gains made by civil rights activists in Cook County." An attorney for the Orlando, Florida based Darden Restaurants, owners of Red Lobster, filed a request to declare the ordinance unconstitutional after the Cook County Human Rights Commission ruled that the restaurant violated the ordinance when it terminated a gay man in May of 1996. "It is bad enough that Red Lobster was found guilty of anti-gay discrimination, but to try to overturn the human rights ordinance is beneath contempt," stated Garcia. "They should be ashamed." In a July 8 letter to Darden Restaurants the Federation threatened to conduct a campaign against the company. "Should you continue your challenge of the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance, we will have no recourse but to inform your patrons that you are actively seeking to overturn civil rights protections in Cook County," Garcia wrote. "We hope that you have a change of heart and recognize the gravity of your challenge to the human rights ordinance." The Cook County Human Rights Ordinance was passed in 1993 and prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and credit transactions in Cook County. Among the thirteen covered categories in the ordinance are race, sex, religion, national origin and sexual orientation. Garcia was a key strategist and lobbyist for the passage of the ordinance. ************************************************************************* * Darden Restaurants, Inc., (DRI) an independent public corporation, owns Red Lobster, The Olive Garden, and Bahama Breeze Caribbean restaurants. After reading this press release, I went to the Red Lobster web site. http://www.redlobster.com/facts.html to find a mailing address for the company: Red Lobster 5900 Lake Ellenor Dr. Orlando, FL 32809 You can also call Andrew Dun in Public Relations at 407-245-5106. To amplify how this stance on the Human Rights Ordinance differs from other corporate positions, read these sentences taken from a Red Lobster press-release on their commitment to the environment and people with disabilities: "When it comes to serving its guests and the communities in which they live, Red Lobster's commitment extends well beyond providing quality seafood. From food drives and donations to flood victims, to initiating beach clean-ups and support for the Special Olympics, Red Lobster places a priority on maintaining an active role in the communities it serves. Red Lobster is proud to have the opportunity to devote considerable resources -- financial and human -- to its neighbors and communities in which the company operates. "We are committed to doing everything we can to help our neighbors, our communities and our environment," said Dick Monroe, Vice President of Public Relations for Red Lobster. "That not only means operating our restaurants in a responsible manner, but also providing support to worthy environmental and community programs and organizations." ... Another area in which Red Lobster has demonstrated a long-term commitment is its support for people with disabilities. The company now has more than 1,000 employees with disabilities at its 677 U.S. restaurants, the result of a hiring initiative put in place several years ago. The hiring initiative is designed to provide a good work environment and offer challenges to people with disabilities. ... The Midwest flood of 1993, for example, propelled hundreds of Red Lobster restaurants in the region to organize food and clothing drives. Additionally, Red Lobster supports the homeless and disadvantaged by organizing fund-raisers and volunteering at local soup kitchens. "Many companies support various causes during the holiday season or during a specific crisis, but at Red Lobster, we try to recognize the fact that the need continues throughout the year," Monroe said. "We really do care about giving back to the communities that support us. We cater to a family atmosphere and we want to be good community citizens." ********************************************** Does the last sentence mean, in light of their attack on the human rights ordinance, that they don't believe gay and lesbian people have families? If you wish to express your concerns about Darden's stance on the Human Rights Ordinance, you can also contact the Olive Garden. You can reach their guest relations department at 1-800-331-2729 between the hours of 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM EST Monday through Friday or write them at: Olive Garden Guest Relations P.O. BOX 592037 Orlando, FL 32859-2037 You can also visit the Bahama Breeze web site. They currently only have restaurants in Memphis and in Florida. You can send them a message on their feedback page: http://www.BahamaBreeze.com/feedback.html I hope you will take the time to write a letter, make a phone call, and/or send a feedback message about this issue. Let them know you cannot support a corporation that promotes bigotry and oppression. Encourage them to let the management at DRI know their action has not gone unnoticed and will have an impact on their reputation as a corporation committed to doing everything they can to help their neighbors, communities and environment" and their earnings. I also hope DRI learns to live up to its hype and become a more responsible corporate citizen. Thanks for your attention to this message. David Barnett