“I just refuse to hide. I did that way too many years and it’s just not healthy,” said Bob Page, the chief of Replacements Limited.
By JAMES B. STEWART
Published: May 25, 2012 730 Comments
In the months leading up to North Carolina’s vote this month to ban gay marriage, most of the state’s business leaders were conspicuously silent. While some executives spoke out against it as individuals, not one Fortune 500 company based in North Carolina, including Bank of America, Duke Energy, VF Corporation and Lowe’s, opposed it.
But one company did: Replacements Limited, which sells silver, china and glassware, and is based in Greensboro. Its founder and chairman, Bob Page, is gay. The company lobbied legislators, contributed money to causes supporting gay marriage, rented a billboard along the interstate near its headquarters, and sold T-shirts at its showroom. Its experience may explain why no other for-profit company followed its example.
Hostile letters and e-mails poured into the company from customers canceling their business and demanding to be removed from its e-mail list. “I understand that your company donated $250,000 or so to the effort to ban the marriage amendment,” read one. “I am very concerned that with an increased visibility and acceptance of the gay and lesbian lifestyle, one of my children, who would have grown up and been happily married to a husband, could be tempted to the lesbian lifestyle.”
Another read: “I was excited to see your wares and expected a pleasant shopping experience. Instead I was accosted by your political views, which I do not share. It was very uncomfortable and unpleasant browsing with all those signs and T-shirts against amendment one, to the point where I had to leave.”
A third said, “Money you used to support this opposition came from my many purchases from your company and that is not O.K. with me,” adding, “I will look for my replacement pieces elsewhere.”
Several writers seemed more sad than angry. “Visiting Replacements Limited has always been one of my favorite treats,” said one. “I had the privilege of experiencing your beautiful store firsthand,” began another. Both said they would never return.
Andrew Spainhour, Replacement’s general counsel and a member of the steering committee that organized opposition to the amendment, tried to recruit other businesses. “I had a lot of phone calls and e-mails that weren’t returned,” he said. “If I did have a conversation, they’d say, ‘Gosh, we can’t do this, we can’t go out on a limb.’ There’s a tremendous amount of fear.”
The company did get a few letters and e-mails of support, but the outpouring against its stand shows that the subject of gay marriage “is hugely divisive in our state,” Mr. Spainhour said. “It’s exposed a lot of fault lines. It’s a natural reaction for people to say, ‘We’re not going to anger 50 percent of the people that we do business with or want to do business with.’ There’s too much downside.”
Mr. Spainhour said he worried about Mr. Page’s safety, and has discussed his concerns with him. He mentioned Charles C. Worley, pastor of the Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden, N.C., not far from Greensboro, who preached on May 13 that lesbians and gays should be separated from each other and society and quarantined behind electrified fences. “In a few years, they’ll die out,” Mr. Worley said. “They can’t reproduce.” Video of the sermon circulated on the Internet.
“Bob has been absolutely fearless in the face of that,” Mr. Spainhour said. “It’s a North Carolina that exists but that I don’t recognize. There are two North Carolinas: the progressive cities and college towns, and places where there are no openly gay people.”
Much the same could be said of America as a whole. Although recent polls suggest a majority of Americans favor legalizing gay marriage in their state, those who do are concentrated in the Northeast and on the West Coast. But even in those states most hostile to the idea, support for gay marriage has grown strongly over the last decade.
I love Replacements Limited and have purchased from them multiple times. I'm glad to see that my money has been well spent, and I will happily patronize them again.
For anyone who isn't familiar, RL is a godsend if you need to fill a gap in your dishware. My pattern ceased production in 2004 but I have been able to find ample replacement pieces at RL. I really need to stop chipping my damn plates but at least now I can feel a bit better about where my money is going.
Post by UMaineTeach on May 26, 2012 12:30:06 GMT -5
I have been to their website before, but haven't bought anything. but now it goes on the list with Pepsi of companies I want to support due to a call to boycott.
I was just about to order a couple of things from them. Now due to this I'm going to increase my order, and send them a letter of support. Good for them.
What did Pepsi do that's making people call for a boycott?
Supposedly they use aborted fetuses in their taste tests? Or something? Whatever the reason, some pro-life groups boycott Pepsi.
I think the fetuses may have been coke? Either way, the unborn have had no negative impact on my soft drink consumption.
I gave a plus to Pepsi when groups wanted to boycott them for putting positive domestic partnership language in their benefits package forever ago. I don't remember the specifics, but something like they didn't care if same sex partners took parental leave or put each other on health ins.
What did Pepsi do that's making people call for a boycott?
Supposedly they use aborted fetuses in their taste tests? Or something? Whatever the reason, some pro-life groups boycott Pepsi.
On the upside, at least now we know Pepsi's secret, crack-like ingredient. Who knew that partially formed humans could taste so good?? Suddenly soylent green doesn't seem so crazy.
Post by basilosaurus on May 26, 2012 14:33:07 GMT -5
The "aborted fetuses" bit comes from safety and flavor testing. Apparently a cell line that's used to test products may have come from fetuses back in the day. Just like the cell lines used to develop vaccines. No, there are no dead babies in Pepsi, and there never have been.
I have never heard of nor bought from this company, but they'll be on my radar as we move into our new home.
I.don't.get.it. The whole my-child-might-catch-the-gay-from-your-stance bit. In that vein, your child might also catch alcoholism from a billboard for whiskey.
ETA: And even I goofed - I didn't intend to correlate being homosexual with being an alcoholic. More of the "this is what society perceives to be negative" track.
For anyone who isn't familiar, RL is a godsend if you need to fill a gap in your dishware. My pattern ceased production in 2004 but I have been able to find ample replacement pieces at RL. I really need to stop chipping my damn plates but at least now I can feel a bit better about where my money is going.
I am now completely in love with this site; not only do they have replacement pieces for the shit I keep breaking, but they have pieces of my dishware that I didn't know even existed. Drizzling oil bottle and dipping bowls? I'm in!
ETA: I just placed an order and wrote a glowing review about the merchandise and that I'm happy to support the owner in light of the appalling treatment he has received.
Post by heightsyankee on May 26, 2012 21:28:43 GMT -5
When I got married, my grandmother and I used this site to put together a complete set of this china of hers from the 70s. It's not high end, just everyday stuff, but I love the pattern and it reminds me of my childhood. I started with about 10 total pieces and now have service for 12 plus some odds and end and serving pieces. I am so glad that my money went to such a great company! From now on, I won't even bother with eBay...
I've been clicking through the silverware trying to find the set to complete the small forks and teaspoons that my kids have used to dig in the garden or leave where-ever over the years. I didn't realize you could just send them a picture and they'd find them for you. I might have to try that since the company has been in existence for 100+ years and has a zillion designs. My fingers got tired before I was finished with the Bs.
The man chose to speak out for what he believes with the voice and funds of his company instead of as a private individual. It follows naturally that his publicly visible company will bear the consequences of that action.
I don't usually consider the beliefs of the employees when choosing what I buy and where I shop, but I have once and understand why others have reacted to this company's move. I know many people who boycott Walmart because they think they're ruining America with their support of Chinese labor. I myself refused to buy from Target one Christmas because they publicly did not support the troops or allow groups who supported the troops to hang out in their entryways or in front of their store (these were wanting to collect donations/toys/etc for the troops and their families). I bought a bunch of clothes and toys and dropped them in the box in front of Walmart instead. I go to Target now when convenient, but I always remember they hate the troops.
This move may or may not hurt his business in the long run.
The man chose to speak out for what he believes with the voice and funds of his company instead of as a private individual. It follows naturally that his publicly visible company will bear the consequences of that action.
I don't usually consider the beliefs of the employees when choosing what I buy and where I shop, but I have once and understand why others have reacted to this company's move. I know many people who boycott Walmart because they think they're ruining America with their support of Chinese labor. I myself refused to buy from Target one Christmas because they publicly did not support the troops or allow groups who supported the troops to hang out in their entryways or in front of their store (these were wanting to collect donations/toys/etc for the troops and their families). I bought a bunch of clothes and toys and dropped them in the box in front of Walmart instead. I go to Target now when convenient, but I always remember they hate the troops.
This move may or may not hurt his business in the long run.
OK this made me LOL. Now I know for sure who you are.
I used to live in Greensboro and, like Nashville, it's one of those places I left and never looked back at. I wouldn't go to N.C. at all if my family didn't live there and as it is I manage to only do that maybe once or twice a year.
I actually didn't mind Greensboro as much as I did High Point. It might be because I spent the bulk of my time at UNCG, though. I love going back but I remember at the time having no intention of living there long term.
The man chose to speak out for what he believes with the voice and funds of his company instead of as a private individual. It follows naturally that his publicly visible company will bear the consequences of that action.
I don't usually consider the beliefs of the employees when choosing what I buy and where I shop, but I have once and understand why others have reacted to this company's move. I know many people who boycott Walmart because they think they're ruining America with their support of Chinese labor. I myself refused to buy from Target one Christmas because they publicly did not support the troops or allow groups who supported the troops to hang out in their entryways or in front of their store (these were wanting to collect donations/toys/etc for the troops and their families). I bought a bunch of clothes and toys and dropped them in the box in front of Walmart instead. I go to Target now when convenient, but I always remember they hate the troops.
This move may or may not hurt his business in the long run.
OK this made me LOL. Now I know for sure who you are.
Come on ttt... who needs facts when you have opinion?
They're actually a company that's specifically recognized for its commitment to helping re-employ the troops after returning home and helping the families of those affected by deployments.
OK this made me LOL. Now I know for sure who you are.
Come on ttt... who needs facts when you have opinion?
They're actually a company that's specifically recognized for its commitment to helping re-employ the troops after returning home and helping the families of those affected by deployments.