Lady Gaga Severs Exclusive Target Deal Over Chain's Donations to Anti-Gay Political Group

By John Mitchell Posted Mar 9th 2011 09:45AM

Lady Gaga has dissolved a deal with retail giant Target over the chain's controversial policy regarding political donations. "She and Target didn't see eye to eye on Target's policy of political donations and how they affect the LGBT community," a source close to the singer tells The Advocate.

Gaga had inked a deal with the retailer to offer an exclusive deluxe edition of her highly anticipated forthcoming album 'Born This Way.' Gaga, an ardent gay rights activist, told Billboard last month the deal "hinged upon their [Target's] reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they've made supporting those groups."

Apparently unhappy with the company's efforts, the singer and Target "came to a mutual decision to end their overall exclusive partnership" (via E!).

Last year, it was revealed that Target had donated corporate funds to MN Forward, a political action committee that supported anti-LGBT Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer's failed 2010 run for office.

Target's support for an anti-gay group is, of course, in direct conflict with Gaga's personal politics on LGBT issues. The singer has been a longtime gay rights advocate, and last year spoke at political demonstrations in Maine urging senators there to support a repeal of the military's now-defunct Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, which barred openly gay soldiers from serving in the military. More recently, she has pledged the proceeds from the release of a stripped-down version of 'Born This Way' to anti-bullying charities. Gaga is also the face of cosmetics giant MAC's Viva Glam campaign, which benefits AIDS research.

"That discussion was one of the most intense conversations I've ever had in a business meeting," Gaga told Billboard of her meetings with Target while negotiating the deal. "Part of my deal with Target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they've made in the past."

Her most recent single, 'Born This Way,' is itself a "manifesto" of the singer's beliefs regarding the need for full equality for all persons regardless of race, sexuality, ethnicity or religion. In a preface to the song, Gaga opens her video with a voice-over that espouses the need for "the beginning of the new race. A race within the race of humanity, a race which bears no prejudice, no judgment, but boundless freedom." The song itself includes lyrics like, "No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life / I'm on the right track baby, I was born to survive / No matter black, white or beige, chola or orient made / I'm on the right track baby, I was born to be brave."

'Born This Way' debuted in mid-February to enormous digital download sales and record-shattering pickup at radio (it's the biggest debuting title in the 18-year history of the Billboard chart, according to Nielsen BDS), and has spent the last three weeks at No. 1.

Tags: Lady Gaga

Comments

(68)

Wednesday 09 March

By Clint

Vote down Vote up Report this

Gshad and andy's idea of a great concert experience is watching Lawrence Welk and Hee Haw reruns.

By Dana

That's right Clint, without gays American culture would be stuck at the level of tractor pulls and macrame.

By Nekodaisuki

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

cocobeee123 and others seem to be confused.

Homosexuals are, among other things, adults who engage in consensual sexual activities with other adults.

Pedophiles, on the other hand, are abusers of children, who legally and morally cannot give consent and thus cannot be considered to participate in these activities consensually.

(And to short-circuit this before someone brings it up - the same applies to bestiality. No consent is possible, thus it is abuse, not a consensual choice.)

Please stop raising these as if homosexuality is parallel to them, or is part of a slippery slope leading to them being normalized. It's not related to them in any way.

By Robbie

good job target keep supporting the anti-gay policy. gay is a gay people only think their gay but their not really gay its a choice. ot who they are.

By mrmessy7

By Go Target

BRAVO Target! Thank you for not "bowing" down to Gag Gag!

I will forever shop there just because they stuck to their guns and didn't let some temporary freak define them!!

All Gag Gag is ... is shock value! That's all, this is the same woman that promotes all kinds of misguided values to our youth and drugs? Oh they are cool and cocaine is fun ... but OH NO the dreaded Target takes a stand and ... well, they are evil!

News Flash Gag Gag, you are nothing new and you will also fade away into the drug infested lime light like many other before and I'm sure many others after you too!

Poof, be gone!

THANK YOU TARGET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday 10 March

By mel

Great makes me love Target even more!I have nothing against gay right just don't like to be forced into it.But I cant stand Lady gaga ( who I think is NO Lady!!!!)she make me sick!I think she is a bad joke,and a bad influence on our young.

Tuesday 15 March

By Barbara

Way to go LADY GAGA LOVE LOVE your music and what you stand for. you're AMAZING all the way around!!!!!!!

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