san diego
Doug Manchester offers to pay donation to gay groups
Manchester boycotts will continue
Published Thursday, 14-May-2009 in issue 1116
On May 8, Kelly Commerford, the marketing director for the Manchester Grand Hyatt announced at the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Convention in Toronto that Doug Manchester, the owner of the hotel, will give $125,000 to the gay community.
“Mr. Manchester is giving us [the GLBT community] a $25,000 personal donation and a $100,000 in kind,” Howard Bragman, Manchester’s public relations professional said. “These [funds] will go to gay groups to be determined,” he added, reiterating his support for gay and lesbian civil rights and civil partnership.
Many believe Manchester’s donations are in response to the backlash from the boycott waged against the Manchester Grand Hyatt for Manchester’s $125,000 donation to the “Yes on 8” campaign last summer.
A coalition of labor leaders and supporters of same-sex marriage announced last July, a full-scale boycott of the Manchester Grand Hyatt and other Manchester-owned properties. The coalition – which includes labor union UNITE Here Local 30, nonprofit organization Californians Against Hate, and is supported by City Councilmember Todd Gloria, San Diego Pride at Work, San Diego LGBT Pride and a number of community leaders – aims to inform Californians about Manchester’s contributions.
“I don’t think it’s because he suddenly cares about the rights of the LGBT community,” UNITE HERE president Bridgette Browning said. “I think he’s losing a lot of money. I think the travel industry universally recognizes that the LGBT community is a very profitable community for them to have staying in their hotels and patronizing their establishments.”
Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate, was in Toronto during the announcement and says his organization along with labor unions will continue to boycott Manchester’s properties. The San Diego Hotelier owns three hotels, The Manchester Grand Hyatt, the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, and The Grand Del Mar.
“[We will boycott] at an increased pace because of this [offer],” he said. “The organizers of the boycott are not intending to end the boycott because of his offer.”
Karger added gay organizations are under pressure to accept Manchester’s offer because of the economic downturn.
“I think it’s a sad situation because groups are in such need of money,” he said. “That creates a huge problem and puts all of these gay organizations in a very awkward position. I’m sure they would like to take the credits at the hotel. Who do you think would show up?”
Browning also confirmed UNITE HERE’s boycotts will continue.
The boycotts were also in response to poor working conditions. According to Browning and Karger, no attempt has been made at mending the relationship between Manchester and labor. Bragman was not able to comment on Manchester’s issues with labor, because he works with GLBT issues.
“Neither UNITE HERE nor any of the other organizations have heard from Mr. Bragman and Mr. Manchester,” Karger said, noting that he was approached by Manchester last July for a settlement. “My first question was ‘does this include the labor portion?’ They said no. We have nothing to discuss if we’re not going to discuss both.”
Bragman said he was not working with Manchester at the time of the alleged offer and was not able to confirm any information. Karger said if the GLBT community was offered a similar settlement as last year’s alleged settlement, “that would be different.”
“He’s trying to force people to come to the hotel, but he’s going to fail. It’s a dumb idea,” Karger said.
Bragman has come under scrutiny because he is a gay man and is working for Manchester.
“As far as personal criticism, I think people should look into my three decades of work in the GLBT community – what I have achieved, who I have represented and the awards I have been honored to receive,” Bragman said. “If people want to discount me or my work because of [my work with Manchester], so be it. I know who I am, what I’ve done and am very comfortable in my own skin.”
Bragman believes the GLBT community lost the battle over Proposition 8 because of a lack of communication.
“I believe the reason we lost Prop. 8 is because we didn’t build bridges to certain communities,” he said. “If we’re going to win in the future, we need to build bridges. When people offer an olive branch, we should be willing to accept it. I am trying to [help my client] begin a dialogue, build a bridge and find common ground.”
Bragman asserts Manchester is not homophobic.
“We hope the community will understand that this is not a homophobic man. This is a man who came to his beliefs because of his religious upbringing. I hope the community understands this is a man of great dignity. It’s not easy to say I made a mistake,” Bragman said.
Manchester is Roman-Catholic. It was also announced at the convention that Manchester supports civil unions and domestic partnerships but not same-sex marriages.
“Before Prop. 8, there was a great relationship [between the Manchester Grand Hyatt and] the [GLBT] community. We want to get that back,” Bragman said.
GRivera
says:
I believe that if we let go of our stand on this boycott we lose everything
we are fighting.
May 14, 2009 3:51 PM
Steven Hall
says:
I wanted to write the paper and let you know that this week's editorial is
spot-on. I cant agree with you more. Well written, articulate, and strong.
May 14, 2009 4:02 PM
Crusader
says:
It is my opinion that openly gay Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman has
worked very hard to earn "Bumhole of the Month" in my Crusader's Corner
blog:
May 14, 2009 5:21 PM
Kelly Moyer
says:
Thank you for highlighting the fact that this is a combined effort between
the LGBT community and labor! I've heard too many people in the community
talk about the boycott as if it was all about us, when the fact of the
matter is that Labor is an integral part of the effort and MUST be included
in any resolution.
May 14, 2009 6:40 PM
Tom L
says:
Perhaps Manchester can give the whole of the $125K to EQCA, thereby funding
a FAILED attempt to repeal the amendment in the future. Or, maybe Geoff
Kors would like to go work for Manchester. He can become his left ball.
(Actually, he's probably already working for Manchester.)
May 14, 2009 7:50 PM
concerned
says:
Some of us were not always gay. we changed and were accepted as such. Why
are some of us so closed minded about anybody and anything that is not us.
May 14, 2009 9:10 PM
NP Guy
says:
May 14, 2009 11:09 PM
Drew Andrews
says:
This is a load of crap! He did not give $125k. It was $25k in cash and $100k in gift certificates to get the gays to spend more money in his hotels. He will do anything to make more money and crush gay rights. He is a religious freak. We are required to call him Papa Doug at work. It makes me sick to work for him but jobs are thin. He is not gay friendly and you can bet he is working on many angles against equal rights.
May 15, 2009 7:42 AM
Contact IGLTA.org
says:
Please contact this organization and request that the Manchester Grand
Hyatt be expelled.
May 15, 2009 12:04 PM
NoPeaceNoJustice
says:
Accept it or refuse it - Manchester's offer is a victory. The key question is: what will it take to end the boycott? What will it take to build the bridge to our right to be married? Does Doug 'Menchaser' have to say "F the Pope" three times standing naked in his hotel lobby, or what? What's the definition of victory? Let's be very careful what we ask for - we might get it. First, we have to know what we want. And when we get it, be willing to accept our victory graciously. Rubbing their nose in it doesn't get us anywhere. Peace.
May 15, 2009 3:02 PM
Sister Sally Suck 'em Silly
says:
They have good towels!
May 16, 2009 11:43 PM
Reality Check
says:
NoPeaceNoJustice gets the gold again! When do we win? How long do we
boycott? Does nobody get exhausted by these things? We take money out of
Doug's wallet and coincidentally out of our own with the millions in
tourism lost here in San Diego.
May 17, 2009 8:45 AM
Andrew
says:
I don't notice anyone calling Obama a "dumb bitch" for not supporting gay
marriage.
May 17, 2009 6:18 PM
This story is now closed for comments. Commenting is available only on stories in the current week's issue. |
Feed updated every Thursday
|
Subscribe via RSSCopyright © 2003-2009 Uptown Publications
