Courage Campaign and EQCA join forces to support Manchester Hotels Boycott

The
Courage Campaign and Equality California today launched a new web site
and email campaign to ask their members and supporters across the state
to join the boycott against San Diego hotel magnate Doug Manchester, a
major Prop. 8 donor who has struck back to undermine a successful
boycott against his properties.

The web site is SayNoToManchester.org, where supporters can join the boycott by signing a pledge not to patronize Doug Manchester's hotels.

The
following is a joint statement from Geoff Kors, Executive Director of
Equality California, and Rick Jacobs, Founder and Chair of the Courage
Campaign:

"San
Diego hotel owner Doug Manchester gave $125,000 to anti-gay campaigners
in January of last year--an early infusion of cash that paid for the
signature-gathering to get Proposition 8 on the ballot.

"In
response, Californians Against Hate teamed up with the hotel workers'
union Unite Here to lead a boycott of the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel
and the Grand del Mar Resort. The boycott has cost Doug Manchester $7
million at the Hyatt property alone, and shown that there are
consequences for those who attack the rights of minority groups,
advocate discrimination and oppose the rights of workers. For more than
a year, Manchester has refused to meet with those leading the boycott,
and he has never apologized.

"Instead,
his latest strategy is to try and break the boycott by offering free
conference rooms to LGBT organizations if they'll break ranks and hold
events at his hotels. He's also tried to give away $25,000, but found
no one who would accept it. He first offered the cash to any national
organization that supports "civil unions," then to Equality California,
which refused the offer, and now to any "registered 501(c)3" that will
apply. The money is a tax write-off for Manchester and could never be
used to fund a ballot initiative to repeal Prop 8.

"San
Diego LGBT, labor, and progressive leaders and organizations have
already pledged not to let Doug Manchester's scheme divide our
community. Today, the Courage Campaign and Equality California are
calling on our members across the state to join the boycott and show
that we are united.

"The
Courage Campaign and Equality California also join other organizations
in vowing not to take Manchester's money or patronize his properties
until he makes a public apology and negotiates an honest, fair
resolution with boycott organizers."

The
Courage Campaign is a leading multi-issue advocacy organization that
empowers more than 700,000 grassroots and netroots activists to push
for equality and progressive change in California. Members set the
Courage Campaign's priorities and fund its campaigns through thousands
of small-dollar donations. Victories include helping stop the GOP's
scheme to weaken California's electoral votes, making sure "double
bubble" ballots were counted in the 2008 presidential primary, and
closing the "yacht tax loophole" that let millionaires and CEOs shift
their tax responsibility onto ordinary Californians. www.couragecampaign.org