Friday, December 09, 2005
Wal-Mart Introduces Queer Wedding Gift Line
(Link) Although the "fundie/family friendly" chain carries only bible stories and Ann Coulter rants in its book section in the US, the UK branch is selling up a storm of queer cards, commitment rings and gay gifties now that same-sex civil unions are legit there.
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By Danny McCoy
GayWired.com
(New York, NY) – Wal-Mart's British subsidiary, Asda, has introduced a line of wedding cards and commitment rings to coincide with the country's legalization of gay civil unions, according to CNN.com.
But The New York Times was quick to note that critics of Wal-Mart are accusing the parent company of hypocrisy given Wal-Mart's strict store policies in the United States.
Stateside, Wal-Mart has tried to pitch itself as a family-friendly store, pulling alternative and racy magazines from its shelves and refusing to sell controversial books, including George Carlin’s When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops because of controversial content.
The first gay and lesbian marriages in England will take place Dec. 21. Asda, a food and clothing superstore wholly owned by Wal-Mart, began selling cards this week that read, ‘Wedding day wishes, Mrs. & Mrs.,’ and ‘Congratulations, Mr. & Mr.’
Asda will also sell a line of matching gold and diamond rings beginning at $104 each, The New York Times said.
“Ever since gay weddings were given the official go-ahead, we've had a number of customers asking if we could introduce gay cards,” Asda spokesman Ed Watson told CNN.com. “With the launch…, we can ensure that our customers can celebrate every marriage, whether it is between him and her, him and him, or her and her.”
Tracy Sefl, an analyst with the Washington D.C.-based advocacy group Wal-Mart Watch, told the Times that Wal-Mart is trying to be “all things to all people anywhere but in the United States."”
"In the United States, they have a conservative, right-leaning business model," she said.
Asda, Britain's third-largest retailer, was bought by Wal-Mart in 1999 but has been careful to distance itself from its parent company.
Asda is more comfortable selling music, books or magazines that Wal-Mart might consider risque, Bryan Roberts, an analyst with London-based consulting group Planet Retail, told CNN.com.
Last year, Asda announced it was “rolling back” the price of condoms in time for the Christmas party season. This October, Asda cut prices in liquor and beer as part of its Christmas promotions.
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