NOM Just Started An Ugly Boycott Of Angie’s List And An Attack On Its Service Providers
The National Organization For Marriage has just launched a war against Indiana-based Angie’s List, because it spoke out against a discriminatory anti-gay law in its home state.
For over a week, Indiana’s anti-gay “religious freedom” law has been the top news story across the nation, spurred in large part thanks to the courageous cries from companies like Apple, Salesforce, Elly Lilly, and Angie’s List.
For almost 20 years, Angie’s List has been headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The $315 million corporation which lets users review local businesses, especially home improvement professionals, had been planning a $40 million renovation of its own, moving its headquarters across town and adding 1000 new jobs over five years.
Until Governor Mike Pence signed the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law.Â
Angie’s List then canceled that $40 million renovation, and with it, the 1000 new jobs it would have brought.
Certainly a brave move.
Even after Gov. Pence called for an amendment to the RFRA to “clarify” that the law was not to be used to discriminate against the LGBT community, Angie’s List continued to raise concerns, calling the new language “insufficient.”
“Our position is that this ‘fix’ is insufficient,” Angie’s List CEO Bill Oesterle said in a statement. “There was no repeal of RFRA and no end to discrimination of homosexuals in Indiana.”
Oesterle, it should be noted, is a Republican and was the campaign chairman for Mitch Daniels, Mike Pence’s predecessor. He also  “donated $150,000 to Pence’s gubernatorial campaign,” the IB Times reports.
Of course, smelling an opportunity to expand its fundraising list, NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, has seized upon the call for equality and nondiscrimination from Angie’s List and today launched an ugly boycott affecting not just Angie’s List, but the service providers who list on the company’s website.
NOM calls the original anti-gay Religious Freedom Restoration Act a “common sense religious liberty bill that simply gives people of faith their day in court to fight government from coercing them to participate in something they oppose on religious grounds.”
Of course, that’s not correct, as the law before it was amended allowed for overt anti-LGBT discrimination. Even now, since Indiana has no nondiscrimination statute protecting LGBT people, anyone can still discriminate, they just can’t use the RFRA as a “get out of jail free card.”
NOM is claiming, “Angie’s List thinks attacking the rights of Christians and other faiths is smart business.”Â
And they’re calling not only for Angie’s List members to cancel their accounts, but to randomly choose a service provider and leave a review that has absolutely nothing to do with that small business owner, making them “pay” for a negative review of Angie’s List.
“Leave one last review on Angie’s List of any company you like that makes clear that you are leaving Angie’s List because they oppose religious freedom. Encourage everyone else to do this same.”
How mean and ugly is that?
NOM, it should be noted, isn’t even being original. Both the Family Research Council and the American Family Association – two anti-gay hate groups – have already started boycotts against Angie’s List.
A spokesperson for Angie’s List would not comment on the boycott, and referred The New Civil Rights Movement to its CEO’s comments (above.)
One final note.
NOM has just removed its failed boycott of Chase bank, Void Chase, from its website.Â
Since it started that boycott eight and a half monrths ago, NOM has managed to get all of 7424 people to support it:
Â
Â
Image, top: Screenshot via NOM
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.