Intolerant, and Proud of It

What makes it even worse is that Orbitz then hides its head in the sand: Brian Hoyt, vice president of communications for the online travel agency, told The Hollywood Reporter  May 19 that the company doesn't "favor one political side over another."

Equally baffling were Hoyt's tweets, under the aptly named @SpinDoctorHoyt:

 

• If equality really matters, @Orbitz knows all we need is tolerance for all, even for those we disagree with who don't share our core beliefs.

• 2 the right & left. @Orbitz is pro LGBT and nobody's political football. Save that money on your email and robocall campaigns! Tolerance.

• Don't believe the hype about @Orbitz. Tolerance and equality for all.

Tolerance and equality for all? Pro-LGBT? Nobody's political football?

Come on. People already know it has been supportive and "tolerant" of the LGBT community.

And then just yesterday, Hoyt issued an response letter saying "Our tone ... is the result of dealing with the tired tactics of these shady so-called non-profit fringe groups like the one that attacked Orbitz." Wow. Shady, fringe groups? Really?

Are Orbitz officials playing dumb or do they just think we are? They have labeled this a smear campaign and are describing it as a marketing ploy (since we're not selling anything, I wonder to whom they think we are marketing). They repeat over and over how much they love gays. It's a tried-and-true and transparent tactic.

Orbitz is trying to avoid responsibility for the hateful speech and intolerance that its ad money is paying for. Oh, and did we mention that companies carefully analyze programming and demographic information when deciding where to allocate their precious ad dollars?

So again, thank you, Orbitz, for publicly expressing your love for the LGBT community. We have felt it over the years, and we've reciprocated in turn with our hard-earned dollars. But if you're going to preach tolerance as one of your core corporate values, don't be hypocritical by supporting an organization that actively promotes homophobia.

We are tired of spending our money on businesses and corporations that use our money against us. We can afford to be choosy, and we have plenty of choices. As long as Fox News keeps paying folks like O'Reilly to spout off about how gay marriage is like marrying animals, there's a problem. Until then, Orbitz can stubbornly keep losing customers over ads on one news network when it too has plenty of other choices. If Orbitz really wants to stand up for equality, it must stop funding mouthpieces for inequality.

It's as if Orbitz is telling Fox News: Keep doing what you're doing. It's all good. All television stations and networks are created equal. Just show us the money and we'll turn a blind eye as to how your homophobia clearly goes against our commitment to so-called tolerance and nondiscrimination.

It's laughable to say tolerance and equality apply to hatemongers. These guys at Fox News, they don't deserve tolerance. Not in my book. I'm intolerant of hate because I love America, not just little slices of it.