Last fall, Teri Yale, owner and manager of Mason record store Davey's Basement, towed the homecoming float for Mason High School's Gay-Straight Alliance.
Since then, the store's business has suffered. Residents of the town boycotted Davey's Basement for showing support of a group that promotes diversity and tolerance.
The Gay-Straight Alliance has been active in Mason for four years, but Jennifer Harrington, the group's adviser, said this was the first time the group made its presence known to the Mason community.
Yale's daughters both attended Mason High School's Gay-Straight Alliance. When looking for sponsorship, the group turned to Yale.
Parents stopped their children from going into the "gay store," and many have refused to go in because of the owner's association with the Gay-Straight Alliance. Some even have thrown eggs at the store.
For those who wish to remain under their veil of belief that prejudice and discrimination don't exist in this modern world, this is a startling wake-up call.
Despite the claims of equality, there still are glaring examples of discrimination in our own backyard.
Yale's involvement with the group was extremely small. Merely driving a float in a parade and showing support for a group is hardly a justifiable reason to push her out of business. Yale gave no financial support to the group and is not an active participant.
The struggle for gay rights in Michigan has seen its ups and downs. In 2004, voters in the state passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages, while advocates fought for partners' rights in homosexual relationships.
The majority of Michigan's population seems to be in favor of stripping the rights of the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community, and apparently the rights of those aligned with the LBGT community are at risk, as well.
On Saturday, the Ann Arbor band the Minor Planets, along with other local bands, will hold a benefit concert at Mac's Bar to raise support for Davey's Basement and promote tolerance.
Take a stand against the discrimination happening so close to us. Attend the anti-hate concert from 5-9 p.m. Saturday at Mac's Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing.
To show further support for Yale and Davey's Basement, 448 S. Jefferson St. in Mason, help keep the store in business by purchasing your next record there.
If this boycott succeeds in running Davey's Basement out of business, the bigots will have won.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
