Boycott Hot Topic! Pagan Discrimination!

[Phoenix]

Hi everyone! I received the following on a bulletin on Myspace this morning and thought I would share it here:


Hello, My name is ________. I work at Hot Topic, store number ___, in __________, Maryland. I am writing today to ask for your support in having Hot Topic's policies changed around, especially the one that is currently allowing me, a practicing Pagan, to be singled out.

Hot Topic does not tolerate pentagrams, calling them Satanic. I have been forbidden to wear mine during work hours, having been told Witchcraft is not a religion that Hot Topic recognizes. A manager has decided that she cannot work with me, due to my religious choices, and now is attempting to have me fired.



I have been "written up" and sat down twice, once by her and once by the store manager, because of a conversation involving three other people about drugs, WHILE THE STORE WAS CLOSED, and because I answered the manager's questions about another associate's missed time. No one else was punished for the drug conversation. I work in a store full of practicioners of other beliefs. The manager trying to get me fired is always covered in Christian jewelry and keychains. I am denied any of my own religious wear.



I wrote to the A.C.L.U. last night, and am currently awaiting a response.



During this time, I am asking that everyone repost. I am not the only Pagan being punished. Every time someone wearing a pentagram walks in, the manager trying to get me fired talks badly about them when they leave.

My mother comes in in her jewelry, and I have to wonder, what is said then?

Together, as a community, we can make a difference. Pagans make up 80% of our sales, and if we stop shopping there, they will have to make a change. I am already petitioning to have this change brought about, by calling the A.C.L.U..

Pass this around. Religious persecution was supposed to have died with the witch trials.

Don't let this store, the only place these kids have to go, continue to push us away!





Your comments on this matter are welcome!

Thanks and BB )O(
Phoenix

[Blackbird]

Ummm...does anyone know for a fact that this isn't simply that stores' managers discriminating and not Hot Topic in general? And how weird that an alternative store would ban alternative religious jewelry...I could see it if it was walmart (which has done that before), but hot topic? Hell, one of their competitors is Spencers and they sell pentacles...hmmmm....

[Phoenix]

Blackbird said:

Ummm...does anyone know for a fact that this isn't simply that stores' managers discriminating and not Hot Topic in general? And how weird that an alternative store would ban alternative religious jewelry...I could see it if it was walmart (which has done that before), but hot topic? Hell, one of their competitors is Spencers and they sell pentacles...hmmmm....

I'm under the impression that they ban employees from wearing pentacles, not necessarily selling them. I'm waiting for a response from the individual, should have more information then.

[Blackbird]

I don't believe they sell pentacles, but my point was more that they are an alternative store that sells bondage gear for pete's sake. It would seem contradictory to not allow alternative religious jewelry. Anyway, I would rather see a direct quote from the Hot Topic handbook stating such a ban on that type of symbol to show that it isn't just that store's management bias.

[Blackbird]

Interesting - I found this old article so there might be validity to the claim:

July 22, 2003
Call for a boycott of 'Hot Topic' stores over religious discrimination
Below is a news release published today by New Witch magazine. First, let me state that I'm not endorsing the magazine. I saw a piece about it at The Barbaric Yawp and was a bit curious to check it out, since the info he had quoted from the magazine in his piece seemed just a bit off from my own experience. (When I first started exploring Paganism, Wicca was the easiest of the Pagan paths to find information on, so that was where I started. As such, I have a fair amount of experience with Wiccan and "witchy" practices and beliefs.) Personally, the magazine is a bit "fluffy bunny" for my tastes, but the issue itself is one that deserves an airing.

An additional caveat: New Witch Magazine isn't an uninterested bystander in this case. The issue arose because New Witch was trying to get Hot Topic stores to carry their magazine, and Hot Topic indicated that they would not be able to because they had made a corporate decision not to carry any merchandise related to "Witches" or "Wicca" due to pressure from the Religious Right. If you decide to participate in the boycott or to write to Hot Topic's management to protest their decision, I would suggest focusing on the general issue of religious discrimination rather than on their specific decision not to stock New Witch. I think that such an approach would be more readily accepted by management as a legitimate market concern, as opposed to a "stunt" by a specific product maker who is trying to get their product stocked.

One last comment: I fully recongize Hot Topic's right to make such decisions about what products they will or won't stock. I'm actually quote surprised that Hot Topic would make such a choice since, as the release below notes, there is a significant overlap between Goth/Alternative Lifestyles demographics (Hot Topic's primary customers) and Pagans.

But while I do believe they have the right to make this choice, in this case, I strongly disagree with their having done so, and, as such, am happy to give publicity to an effort to change their minds, not through the force of law (such as via a lawsuit), but through the force of the market demands (letting them know that customers and potential customers want a certain category of products to be made available). New Witch magazine has not said anything to indicate that any kind of lawsuit is even under contemplation. They have said absolutely nothing, in fact, about using any tactics other than a boycott, publicity and a petition. This I can support wholeheartedly, and if you agree, I ask that you do also.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2003
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
*removed from post - available at link below*

"HOT TOPIC" STORES ADMIT TO RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION IN COMPANY POLICY

In an email sent July 15, 2003, to newWitch Editor-In-Chief Anne Newkirk Niven, California-based apparel and accessory retail chain Hot Topic (http://www.hottopic.com) admitted a company policy of religious discrimination in merchandise selection for their stores.

According to Papergoods Buyer Marissa Mitchell, "[newWitch] sounds great, and potentially would have been a good fit for our stores a few years back when we used to carry Wicca merchandise. Unfortunately, about 4 years ago we ran into some complicated issues and as a company, we had to make some difficult decisions. One of those decisions included not going forward with merchandise that reads the word 'witch' on it." In a phone conversation with Niven, Ms. Mitchell admitted that some of these 'complicated issues' involved pressure from the Religious Right to Hot Topic's management to ban all Wicca and witch-related merchandise from its stores -- despite the fact that there is a considerable demographic overlap between Hot Topic's customer base (goth and other alternative lifestyles) and Paganism. It appears that Hot Topic has chosen to give in to said pressure rather than insisting on equal religious rights for all their customers.

newWitch Magazine would like to encourage the Pagan community -- as well as all other persons who shop at Hot Topic and who believe in religious rights and the importance of tolerance in America today -- to respond in one or all of the following ways:

1) Boycott Hot Topic and its affiliated chain, Torrid (http://www.torrid.com);

2) Write letters to Hot Topic, encouraging them to forgo their discriminatory policy in favor of protecting the rights of all Americans to practice whatever religion they consider appropriate, and to provide Hot Topic with some idea of the number of Pagans and Pagan-sympathetic persons in Hot Topic's potential customer base;

3) Write emails to Hot Topic, with the same goal in mind. Or,

4) Sign our online petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/hottopicandreligion . This petition will be sent to Hot Topic's corporate management on October 31, 2003, the Third Annual Out Of The Broom Closet Day.

Do not call Hot Topic! Phone calls, while perhaps more immediately satisfying, are harder to document and more likely to anger the customer service people answering the phones -- who are not the people who made or who enforce this discriminatory practice. Also, please keep your communications with Hot Topic professional, polite, and respectful -- we're not going to get anywhere if we're rude or juvenile.

The boycott will continue until Hot Topic rescinds its company policy of entrenched discrimination against Wiccan, witch-related, and other metaphysical merchandise.

Posted by thorswitch at July 22, 2003 09:27 PM

http://www.differentstrings.info/archives/2003/07/call_for_a_boyc.html

[Blackbird]

That baffles me...like I said, Spencers is direct competition to them and they have no issue selling pentacles. In fact, I wore a pentacle to work everyday when I worked there....seems a bit backwards to me....

[Phoenix]

That is very interesting....would you mind if I repost that article on another site I belong to?

[Blackbird]

I have no issues with it being reposted. Not my article. :)

[Lady Anastasia]

interesting

[Lady Anastasia]

Well... I wonder if there is really some discrimination going on, or if it's just one rowdy employee trying to cause a problem..

Most of you know how I feel about the flashy pentagrams...

[Lady Anastasia]

Curious.... I live in one of the more backwards areas, so, my impression on Hot Topic and Spencers... Spencers seems to have a more "Adult" clientele.... At least around here.

Hot Topic seems to do it's majority of business with the tweens/teens and 20 somethings crowd in this area.. The majority of whom are trying on a goth/emo style of dress.... usually with a parent in tow who is the carrier of the magical credit card...

In this particular area, we have a high number of church goers... I call it the mini bible belt... You can almost find a church on every corner.

If this retail store was carrying items that had the word "witch" or other stamped on them... I'm sorry, but the store would be run out of the mall with a quickness... It might not be fair, but, it's a simple fact that it wouldn't' last a second here.

From a standpoint of business practices, what's going to make me money, what's going to keep my store open, etc... I can understand completely the reason why Hot Topic would not carry merchandise affiliated with witches/witchcraft/ paganism, etc. It wouldn't' be cost effective, it wouldn't' be a smart decision around here, and they'd be chased out of quite a few malls.....

Now.... the other issue that I see... The OP, whoever they are who posted this bulletin on myspace... Is an idiot. I don't care if the store was closed, if it was off business hours, etc... If you're stupid enough to have a conversation while at WORK about Drugs... You're a fucktard. That's kinda a big deal, and who knows what other kind of screw ups, or non work related conversations this person has been a part of.

Drugs is not an ok subject to discuss at work, with the exception of if you are a Drug counselor, or in the Health-care profession...

Again, from a business/HR perspective... How many of you would want to employ someone who discusses drugs while they are on the clock?

When you look at it from that standpoint, while there may or may not be religious persecution happening, the mention of the Witch Hunts... and the Fact that I'm getting the sense of Flashy Pentagram wearer... I think it's a case of your garden variety fuck up fluff bunny screaming about persecution at the first chance that they get.



Blackbird said:

That baffles me...like I said, Spencers is direct competition to them and they have no issue selling pentacles. In fact, I wore a pentacle to work everyday when I worked there....seems a bit backwards to me....

[Moonsmith]

I wonder as well...I've not seen pentacles in Spencers --But then it's been twenty years since I have been in one, lol! I've never been in a Hot Topic -- Don't know if there is one here.

From a purely retail viewpoint, I would think encouraging employees to wear the jewelry that one sells during business hours would be right in line here. It is in the jewelry company I work for.

It can be written off as a business expense, It promotes the products and gives the customer a sense of what the jewelry looks like when someone wears it. Hypocrisy in a retail environment is rampant all over, but to deliberately throw money out the door in these economic times is just plain stupid.

Somehow I'm not sure we have the whole story here. I would like to see independent confirmation of this particular situation.

[Lilly Paine]

I think this is a case of the manager being biased and not the store. I shop at Hot Topic and buy pents and whatnot there while listening to hard metal and alt rock and commenting the staff on their tats and piercings, some of which are pagan in nature. One girl who runs the register has a pentacle tat similar to mine and wears a goddess pendant now and then and I've talked to one of the guys there, he wears those bog hoop earrings that make the big hole in the ear (sorry forgot what they are called) and his big hoops are pentacles. These people are very open practicing pagans and their management encourages them to be themselves as much as they want so as to encourage HT shoppers to do the same. HT seems to me to be a store more open and encouraging of anything not considered "normal".

I love Hot Topic!