The American Family Association has issued a boycott of the Gap stores because of their policy to celebrate “the holiday” instead of “Christmas”. You can sign the boycott online. Here is what the boycott is about:
Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic, the three stores owned by San Francisco-based Gap Inc., are being targeted by AFA in a limited two-month boycott over the company’s failure to use the word “Christmas” in its advertising to Christmas shoppers.
Gap refuses to use the word Christmas in its television commercials, newspaper ads and in-store promotions despite tens of thousands of consumer requests to recognize Christmas as well as repeated requests from AFA to do the same.
AFA has also provided a list of top retailers and how the recognize Christmas. Please consider tracking this list and spend your Christmas dollars at retailers that are friendly to Christmas!
Today, I went to the Galleria Mall in North Dallas. Walking in the entrance next to the Gap, I was greeted with the following advertisement pasted on their window.
“This Holiday”? “What holiday are they referring too, I thought?” Are those “holiday trees” that I see there behind the sign? I decided there was more that I could do than simply “boycott” the store. So, I went in. I couldn’t immediately find anyone that worked there. There was a line of about four people waiting in the line for the cashier. So I went and joined that line.
Cashier: Next please
Me: Hi
Cashier: May I help you?
Me: Yes, I was curious what holiday the sign in the front window refers too?
Cashier: Do you mean the holiday on December 25th?
Me: Yes, what do you call that holiday?
Cashier: You can call it anything you want.
Me: I call it Christmas. I am wondering why your company does not call it Christmas
Cashier: You can talk to the manager about that.
Me: OK.
At this point, the cashier calls for the manager and I hand the cashier one of our brand new “Christmas Trivia” gospel tracts.
Manager: Hi
Me: Hi, my name is Carl Kalbfleisch. I was asking your cashier why the sign says “holiday” rather than “Christmas.” In fact, when I asked her what holiday the sign was referring too, she said the holiday on December 25th and refused to say “Christmas”.
Cashier: looks over and acknowledges that she would not say “Christmas”
Manager: We have employees of many different faiths so therefore we don’t use “Christmas”
Me: I find your corporate policy to replace “Christmas” with “Holiday” offensive and therefore have decided that I will not shop here and have suggested to my friends to do the same.
Manager: Sorry you feel that way.
At that, I handed her a “Christmas Trivia” gospel tract and left.
I find it interesting that businesses are perfectly happy to take our money. And that it seems the only way they understand anything is to not shop there. But, why stop with a simple boycott? If we don’t go there, they will not know why we are not there. Instead, why not go to the store and explain to them exactly why we are boycotting and then give them the Gospel.
You can get some wonderful Christmas tracts at One Million Tracts and Custom Tract Source. Most packs of 100 are about $3 each plus shipping. I encourage you to order some and go hand them out at the Gap stores.
The next mailing of the Bezeugen Tract Club will include 20 Christmas tracts (plus 10 other tracts). This mailing will go out on Monday, November 23rd. Why not enroll in the club right now, then when you receive these tracts go to the Gap stores, ask for the manager and explain that as a Christian you are offended by their ignoring Christmas. Share the Gospel and give them a tract. Remember, there are things we can do.
- Sign the boycott
- Keep current on AFA’s list of how top retailers recognize Christmas.
- enroll in the Bezeugen Tract Club by November 23rd so that you get your Christmas tracts or
- Order your own Christmas tracts from One Million Tracts or Custom Tract Source
