”Cranmer’s Curate’ on Tesco’s acceptance of Gays

FRIDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 2011

TESCO SHAREHOLDERS COULD PAY FOR IDEOLOGICAL PASSION FOR GAY PARADING

Supermarket chain Tesco’s decision to sponsor homosexual festival Pride London could be costly, depending on the reaction of those most likely to be morally offended by the move.

Tesco’s management may have convinced itself that running a family area at the London WorldPride festival in 2012 can safeguard the company’s image as a family-friendly retailer. But if sales are lost from customers who abhor the thought of bringing their children to a global gay pride parade, then Tesco’s shareholders will not share the management’s perception.

Roman Catholics, evangelical Christians, and Muslims, whose religions are opposed to practising homosexuality, often have large families, meaning that a significant proportion of their weekly budget goes on groceries. A boycott by them of Tesco would be significantly more costly than a boycott by the gay community, which tends to be comprised of smaller households.

Though it is not socially and morally responsible for any company to sponsor homosexual festivals, for the compelling reasonsAnglican Mainstream gives, from a purely commercial point of view one can understand vodka brand Smirnoff sponsoring Pride London. Its product fits with the lifestyle many homosexual people choose to pursue. But a grocer like Tesco reliant on the big family shop?

Speaking to a Tesco press officer, Cranmer’s Curate got a firm impression that Tesco is ideologically committed to promoting homosexual parading, even passionately so. Its shareholders will of course foot the bill for this ideological commitment, if there is one.

So far there have been no calls from orthodox Christian leaders for a boycott of Tesco. Such calls may come but church leaders would be advised to say that it is an option for Christians rather than insisting on it as a Christian duty.

Each servant of Christ must make up his or her own mind as to whether Tesco has crossed the line here.

POSTED BY JULIAN MANN

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Perhaps Julian Mann, (alias ‘Cranmer’s Curate’) an alumnus, apparently, of Moore College Sydney, needs to get out and about a bit more. His understanding that the general public  – all except those who are obsessed with what Gay people may get up to in their bedrooms – might be  keen to show their displeasure with TESCO’s   sponsoring of ‘Gay Pride– festivals, by withdrawing their custom from TESCO outlets, is probably labouring under an illusion.

Many ordinary people are only too ready to accept the diversity of the LGBT community – and their need of just treatment at the hands of both Church and Society – and very few would be bothered to support any outright display of homophobia by inconveniencing themselves and shopping elsewhere.

In fact, TESCO’s stand for justice on behalf of Gays might well gain them more discerning customers!

Father Ron Smith, Christchurch, New Zealand