10 Companies that hate the Gays

Don't trade with these people! For more information about these companies, click here.

10. A-1 Self Storage Company

Owned by Terry Caster, A-1 is one of California's largest storage rental companies, with over 40 locations in the state. The owner and his family donated $693,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign, making then the 2nd largest individual donors to the measure.

What You Can Do: Activists have set-up a website asking people to boycott the company as well as call the customer support line to voice let them know why they are taking their business elsewhere.

9. AutoZone Inc.

"America's number one retailer of auto parts and accessories" continues to refuse domestic partner benefits for employees. AutoZone, a Fortune 500 company, also has a history of being a hostile workforce to women and in 2006,was sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

What You Can Do: Currently, there is no organized boycott action against AutoZone. Their customer service number is 1-800-859-3282.

8. Brown-Forman Corp.

A Fortune 1000 Company, Brown-Forman distributes Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort, Finlandia Vodkas, Herradura Tequila, Sonoma-Cutrer Wines, Fetzer Wines, Korbel Champagne, Bolla Wines, Bonterra Wines, but provides no comfort to its gay and lesbian employees, refusing even basic domestic partner benefits.

What You Can Do: This one makes the list because it's so easy for you to make a difference. Stop drinking the brands Brown-Forman distributes. If you're out at a gay bar and see a bottle of SoCo or Jack Daniels on the shelf (which you will at just about any gay bar), let them know that they're serving up their whiskey with a chaser of hate and ask them to consider taking it down off the shelf—though you may want to do this the next day while sober and not while loudly screaming at your bartender. With so many gay-friendly liquor companies, there's no reason to put Brown-Forman booze in your gullet.

7. Cinemark

Regular Queerty readers know our feelings about Cinemark CEO Alan Stock, who donated $9,999 dollars to the Yes on 8 campaign. Operating also under the name Tinseltown, CineArts and Century Theaters, Cinemark delivers the sort of highbrow, artistic films that appeal to gays.

What You Can Do: Continue boycotting Cinemark. Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments for and against invalidating Prop. 8 and now's as good a time as any to renew your commitment to eat your popcorn in a place that isn't run by a bigot.

6. Domino’s Pizza

Another case of CEOs and management using their prominent position and hefty salary to put down gays and lesbians, Domino's founder Tom Monaghan is a co-founder of the Thomas More Law Center, which recently defended the San Diego Fire Fighters who won a lawsuit claiming they were sexually harassed by being forced to March in a gay pride parade. Monaghan also financed a 2001 ballot initiative to remove sexual orientation from Ypsilanti, Michigan's, non-discrimination ordinance.

What You Can Do: Weirdly, just about everyone from all sides of the political spectrum have called for a boycott on Domino's. Conservatives decry their decision to open a halal-only branch of the pizzeria in the UK and the National Organization of Women boycott the store for the company's decision last year to donate $50,000 to a pro-life group.

5. Salvation Army

As a church, the Salvation Army is exempt from state anti-gay discrimination laws and the evangelical Christian organization takes advantage of it every chance they get. The Salvation Army openly says that "practicing homosexuals" aren't welcome in their organization and they have lobbyists in D.C. and abroad who work to prevent gay rights legislation from being enacted.

What You Can Do: Come Christmas, don't drop your nickels in that red kettle, no matter how much Santa Claus tempts you to.

4.Manchester Grand Resorts

Doug Manchester, owner of San Diego’s Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel, Grand del Mar Resort and Whitetail Club and Resort in Idaho gave $125,000 to Yes on Prop 8 campaign. PlanetOut Inc., the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, and the Human Rights Campaign all dropped any association with the hotel last year once it was learned that Manchester was using his cash to put Prop. 8 on the ballot.

What You Can Do: You can join the ongoing boycott organized by Californians Against Hate.

3. Urban Outfitters (with one caveat)

As we were putting this list together, we knew Urban Outfitters, whose chairman, Richard Hayne, regularly supports anti-gay legislation and GOP candidates who vote against gay rights, was going to be on the list. In November, the company quickly removed t-shirts supporting gay marriage from their stores. However, one small glimmer of change occurred last week when the store announced that the t-shirts were back and that 100 percent of its "Marriage Equality" t-shirt sales are going to Equality California and National Center for Lesbian Rights, both major players in the upcoming Supreme Court hearing in California.

What You Can Do: A boycott against Urban Outfitters has been going on for years, but the recent t-shirt decision gives gays and lesbians the opportunity to use the carrot as well as the stick. Write to Urban Outfitters and thank them for their decision to support gay rights organizations.

2. Walmart Stores Inc.

Wal-Mart does not offer domestic partner benefits except in locations required by law. In addition, while Wal-Mart is the largest retailer of books in the country, it refuses to carry any LGBT-related titles. In 2008, after Christian Conservative groups threatened a boycott, Wal-Mart left the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, with a spokesperson saying the company had decided not "to support or oppose highly controversial issues."

What You Can Do: While the conservative threats of boycott forced Wal-Mart to change their limited support for gay and lesbian rights, there's been no move by gays and lesbians to boycott in return.

1. ExxonMobil

Rated a 0 by the HRC on gay and lesbian worker's rights, ExxonMobil is the largest Fortune 500 company to offer no domestic partner benefits. In 1999, when the two companies merged, they eliminated domestic-partner benefits for same-sex partners. The company also consistently refuses to ban discrimination based on orientation and gender identity, except where required by law.

What You Can Do: Take public transportation to work. You'll not only be hurting big oil's anti-gay employment practices, you'll be helping the environment as well.