BOYCOTT EL COYOTE LOS ANGELES!!!!!!! NO GAY DOLLARS TO BIGOTS!!!!!!

[madmadmad]

today i attended a meeting at el coyote restaurant where one of it's owners, marjorie christoffersen, was to explain her donation in support of prop 8 to the restaurant's justifiably outraged gay patrons. i originally intended to report back in my original thread on the subject, but i left the meeting so angered and so disheartened, that i thought we needed a new thread as a call to arms for everyone concerned with civil rights to do this:

BOYCOTT EL COYOTE LOS ANGELES!

i went to the meeting with an open-mind- as i stated in my earlier post, i was concerned for how a boycott would affect the employees of the restaurant- they have always been so wonderful and accepting- and i hoped perhaps if marjorie TRULY regretted her decision to donate to prop 8, and was willing to make amends, that somehow, we could work out compromise. that was not to be the case. after hearing her out, in my mind, we have no choice to boycott, and to NEVER give another gay dollar to the establishment- at least as long as the christoferssen family has any financial interest.

today there were probably 100 gays in attendance- the restaurant limited the number of attendees to those who made reservations- a couple of emotional el coyote employees spoke first- they are sick over the situation, and rightfully so. then marjorie, frail, emotional and surrounded by her family, came out to speak. she said was deeply, deeply, sorry if her actions offended anyone, and went on to talk about how she loved us, how the restaurant was a refuge of respect and diversity, and how it wasn't fair to make the families of the 89 el coyote employees suffer because of one person, that it wasn't the restaurant that supported prop 8 but her, and her alone. but while she said she was sorry for offending anyone, she never actually apologized for the act itself. typical bigot speak- "i love the gays, but they just shouldn't have the same rights as normal people".

after her statement, she was asked if she would demonstrate her contrition and donate an equal amount of money to an organization working to repeal prop.8, and if she had answered yes, i think most of the crowd would have not encouraged the boycott. but she answered no- doing so would go against her beliefs- and at that moment, at least in my mind, the boycott was officially on.

in her defense, she is very old, set in her ways, and has a lifetime of indoctrination by the mormon church. i honestly believe she does love the people who go to her restaturant, and she doesn't really understand that her actions are hateful. but regardless of her confusion, one thing is clear- it's her actions that will make her employees suffer, not ours. just as she had a right to speak with her pocketbook about her beliefs, we have a right to speak with ours- i will not give my money to someone who will in turn tithe 10% back to the mormon church to fund their campaign to strip me of my civil rights... it's time to send a financial signal to mormons, evangelical christians, and anyone else who thinks it's ok that gay people are not deserving of equal rights under the law: IT'S JUST NOT OK- YOU FUCK WITH US AND WE'LL GIVE AS GOOD AS WE GET! yet the reverse is true- you leave us alone, we'll leave you and your crazy religious beliefs alone too.

i really do hate to see the people that work at el coyote suffer- they will, and they don't deserve it. i also understand for that reason, many of my friends might choose to keep going to el coyote- i won't judge them for it- but personally, i will not give el coyote another dollar to be used against me, and as long as the christoffersen family retains a financial interest, i will actively boycott, protest, yell and scream, and encourage others to do so as well. NO MORE DOLLARS TO BIGOTS!

ps- if anyone knows how to get in contact with anyone organizing the demonstrations agianst prop 8, please let them know about this, or put me in touch with them- i think 7312 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036, would be a GREAT place for a few hundred angry people to gather, and let others know about this boycott!

[kestrel91316]

1. Where in LA is El Coyote?

[K8-EEE]

23. It's mid-city not far from Farmer's Market and also TERRIBLE FOOD!

I'll admit to happily getting stung by El Cayote's justifiably famous and STRONG margaritas quite a few times over the years.....BUT THE FOOD IS TRULY AWFUL!! The more you love Mexican food the more offensive it is.

Now that I know this, forget the margs too....besides they aren't as good as Don Cuco's in Burbank!

[madmadmad]

28. it was never about the food, it was about the atmosphere...

i went there once a week for years and years, and ALWAYS hated the food. the employees were delightful, though- jonestly mademade you feel like family(even margie), and as long as you ordered the margaritas from scratch, they were pretty good too...

sadly, i'm afraid that atmosphere is poisoned, now.

[K8-EEE]

37. Understood, it is quite festive, but question for Marjorie.....

Does she want to reinstate prohibition since she "doesn't believe" drinking alcohol is "right?"

I notice she doesn't mind making a stiff profit from the stiffest drinks in town.....but she's gotta stick her nose into what her clients do in their personal lives....

[IndianaGreen]

39. And the margaritas!

:P

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. I see you're pretty much fulfilling the Gay Agenda with this post

http://cronus.com/agenda

:)

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

3. or alternatively, a large group of GLBT --- go there ---

.. during their busiest time, take up all the tables.. and order a cup of coffee and sit there for two hours.

A GLBT $2.00 spent but keeps $50.00 out of their pockets is MORE damaging.

[pennylane100]

13. or just go there to use the restroom,

that;s what I do at walmart.

[melody]

4. How about no dollars at ALL? I'm not gay and I used to go there but won't any more

They've received my last dime. I don't support bigots.

[madmadmad]

7. yay! no dollars to bigots!

that's probably what i should have said.

thank you, melody.

[ellius101]

5. I'm so with you on this....spread the word

No more dollars to bigots, period!
How can you love gays yet not believe they deserve equal rights?
It's bullshit.
Thanks for going and reporting back!

[Howardx]

6. make em pay

no mercy

[FreeState]

8. K&R Its on! No more dollars to Bigots n/t

[madmadmad]

9. protest at el coyote 11/13!

just got an email that there is to be a protest tomorrow night in front of el coyote. don't know the time unforntuately, but if you don't want to wade through my LENGTHY post (i apologize), here's the address:

7312 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

see you there.

[madmadmad]

10. link to protest 11/13 7:00 pm

and another perspective on today's meeting:

http://shutupiknow.blogspot.com/

[Maat]

31. That was a vivid, descriptive account of what happened.

It sounds like 'Marjorie' doesn't really regret what she did; she knows that she hurt the others involved, however.

I don't support bigots, either. I won't be going there.

[madmadmad]

34. he said it much, much better than i did

and far fewer words, i might add!

[Maat]

36. Oh, I liked your account plenty, too.

Actually, after reading both accounts, I could just 'see' the whole thing happening in my mind.

Sad. It just made me feel sad. She had a chance to make amends, and she refused.

I do thing we have to bear in mind that, even if she hadn't donated, she tithes to the church, who DID donate - a huge amount.

I'm sorry; Marjorie and her co-owners need to face the consequences of their actions.

[cboy4]

33. Good job

:thumbsup:

[Lerkfish]

11. well, this makes me wish there was an el coyote here so I could boycott it

[ellius101]

12. madmadmad

Please spread the word about El Pollo Loco at tomorrow night protest.
Owner of 50 of them donated $6000 to Yes on 8

[madmadmad]

14. oh no- two protests in one night?

[ellius101]

15. No, not a protest

Just trying to let people know about the El Pollo Loco owners $6000 donation to
Yes on 8. I'm not eating there anymore, personal decision...people can make their own decisions, just thought they should know where their $$$ go!

[madmadmad]

19. gotcha- no $$$ to el pollo loco either n/t

[cui bono]

45. Dammit. My favorite fast food.

:(

Is there a list of which 50 I need to boycott?

[ronnykmarshall]

16. I feel very sorry for her.

But I can't excuse her actions. Same with my cousin.

I feel for the employees as well. I don't question her love for her gay employees and customers. But I think that she and people like her do not really grasp the impact of Prop 8.

I've only been to the restaurant once. I really enjoyed it, but I'll stick with El Conquistador here in Silverlake for my Mex food.

[madmadmad]

18. i do too- this whole thing breaks my heart.

but you can't take money from the gays and then use it to take away their rights.

i do feel for her, it's not like she is evil or anything- she just doesn't get it and never will. i know she will feel as if we've turned on her without reason.

as for the employees, i am sick over it. literally sick to my stomach sick over it.

i'm also bummed as i've gone once a week for about 20 years- it's close to my home, and *feels* like home when i'm there. but if it was my family that donated money, i'd boycott them too (i checked, and thank god they didn't).

[ronnykmarshall]

20. I hear ya.

I hope Marjorie sees how hurt people are about this.

[mondo joe]

22. Me too. But then I thought it's not about her - it's about alerting a lot of people that

if they attack our rights they don't get our money.

And that's a big, important message.

[IndianaGreen]

40. Henry Ford loved his employees too!

He was then shocked and hurt when they struck for better wages.

[madmadmad]

41. actually, she treats her employees very well

they are paid fairly, and benefits are provided- a true rarity in the restaurant industry, i'm told. the employees have nothing but good things to say about her, and as most of them have worked there for years and years, it certainly says something about marjorie as a boss (i've been going for 20 years and i remember most form the majority of that time). that is one of the things i am saddest about- jobs that pay well and provide benefits are the things we fight for around here, and we might be costing many people, mostly immigrants, those good jobs, and they may never have a job as good again.

as i've tried to stress in this thread- marjorie is not a monster. i wish she had never given any money to the campaign- i would never have known that my money was funding the mormon church's pogrom against me, and in this case, ignorance would have been bliss. but the cat is out of the bag, and though in some ways marjorie is just a face for the larger problem, i can't continue to give money to a business whose owner contributed directly to attempting to take away my rights. i say "attempting", as i believe 8 will be overturned, but that doesn't mean the mormons won't keep trying, and i can't allow my money to go to any further attempts.

[IndianaGreen]

42. I hear what you say about the benefits her employees enjoy

However, it was the money of the LGBT community that made it possible for the Christoffersen family to enjoy their standard of living. LGBT community and our allies do not have to support businesses whose owners deny us the most fundamental of all rights, the right to marry.

[madmadmad]

43. i agree- one of the reasons i felt compelled to join the boycott

i'm just sayin' like many decisions, it wasn't completely black and white for me. in the end, regardless of whether i personally like marjorie, or am heartsick over the fate of her employees, i had to stand on principle and put my money where my margarita lovin' mouth is. so no money to businesses that fund the oppression of the gays. period. and no more playing nice either- this shit needs to be stopped before they get further emboldened in their anti-gay agenda.

[mondo joe]

17. Examples must be made. Businesses have to know what they risk by opposing our rights.

:thumbsup:

[FreeState]

21. Can we get one more "recommend" so this gets on the greatest page for more exposure? n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

24. I live out in the valley and originally hoped she would be open to a conversation.

She was given a chance to show some support to the very people who she owes for her livelihood.

She chose not to.

She earned this boycott and only she can end it.

I have never been to El Coyote or near the immediate area, but if someone had the ability, you should get one of those "roach coach" trucks to park outside her restaurant and have all her customers make a show of choosing it over her business.

[madmadmad]

27. we ALL hoped she would be open to a conversation...

but she unequivocally said "no" when a compromise solution was suggested. and she reaffirmed that equal rights for gays were against her beliefs.

really, no one wants this, but you are correct, only she can end it.

we are also going to make real, open enemies from this- you could see the hatred in her children's eyes. they obviously think we've turned on this frail, old woman who only wanted to love us. but sadly, her love didn't extend to equality for all. i'm sure some slave owners truly loved their slaves, too, and were mystified when the slaves wanted freedom, even though "they'd been treated so well- almost like family". yeah, just like family, 'cept for that whole ownership thing...

[ColbertWatcher]

29. "you could see the hatred in her children's eyes"

How sad.

I wonder if it's hatred in their eyes or greed.

Or both.

[madmadmad]

30. both

[ColbertWatcher]

Yup, they learned from their mama how to hate, and they can see their inheritance slipping away!

Too bad haters!

[K8-EEE]

25. The Mormon owner kind of explains the tostada I got there once

I think there was 1000 island dressing involved in it (seriously.) That is some weird Mexican food they have there.

Skip it and head to Farmer's Market to the new "Lotteria" Mex stand! Delish! Bring your vegan friends because along with carnitas asn other carnivore delights they have several vegan tacos, including potato & black bean, and cactus!

[ColbertWatcher]

26. "new 'Lotteria' Mex stand" Sounds better than my suggestion for a "roach coach!" (post #24) n/t

[DU GrovelBot]

32. ## PLEASE DONATE TO DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! ##

==================
GROVELBOT.EXE v4.1
==================



This week is our fourth quarter 2008 fund drive. Democratic Underground is
a completely independent website. We depend on donations from our members
to cover our costs. Please take a moment to donate! Thank you!

[cboy4]

35. Adios El Coyote

:puke:

[mitchtv]

38. Thanks madmad

I don.t get down to LA much these days , but i will pass the word. I get my mex at home

[madmadmad]

44. another perspective on the meeting...

a good friend who attended yesterday's meeting with me, and he was up until now, probably the restaurants biggest booster. he sent out the following email yesterday, and it helps illustrate why this situation is so unique ,and so devastating. when people loved this place, they really loved it- in defiance of the food quality, i might add- and as my friend i]really loved it, his sadness is palpable. for some (including both my friend and myself)), it feels as if a family member has turned on us- you know it happened, but it seems unbelievable and a bit surreal, and one still has hope that in the way of all family squabbles, it will soon pass. i have my doubts on that, though.

the opening "dog lovers" is a nod to el coyote's nick name "the dog"

Dear Dog Lovers,

The blogosphere and cyberspace are full of reports on today's events at El
Coyote, so I can only add my own impressions. It was a very emotional
experience, certainly a pivotal day in the restaurant's 80+ years.

Margie was a shattered trembling shell who read a prepared statement,
expressing her longstanding love for the gay community and emphasizing that
her contribution to Yes on 8 was hers and not El Coyote's. She asked us not
to punish the 89 other staff and their families for her actions. She has a
strong Mormon faith which guided her decision and when asked if she would
consider a donation to No on 8 now, said "No." She left shortly thereafter
without taking any other questions.

Billy, the host, said that El Coyote would be making generous donations to
various gay organizations (which was not well-received). Rocio, one of the
waitresses, gave an unplanned speech that moved me to tears. Ex-Mormons
talked about how the church controls its members. Articulate and passionate
people spoke in both anger and sadness. In the end, nothing was resolved
and, if anything, a bad situation was made worse, a mishandled mea culpa.
Most of the crowd trooped out eschewing the free lunch.

I don't know how this can be resolved. Although she does support the gay
community in many ways and is genuinely anguished by this situation,
Margie's faith prevents her from supporting same-sex marriage. Boycotting
her restaurant won't change that I fear. My compassion and concern for all
the wonderful people who take care of us at El Coyote is in conflict with my
disappointment that Margie is only sorry for the pain she's caused, not for
the cause itself.

It's going to be a rough road for El Coyote for a while. "Sauce of doom" has
more than one meaning now.

In sadness,

(name omitted)

[cui bono]

46. I'm curious what instigated her to have this meeting? n/t

[madmadmad]

47. damage control-

we think she was trying to draw a distinction between her as an individual and the restaurant to prevent a boycott of the business. and maybe she thought that somehow saying "i'm sorry if i offended you" would be accepted as an apology. whatever her reason, it didn't work, and probably only made things worse. i know i left the meeting even angrier than i went in. she does not care about the gays. we were a meal ticket. end of story.

[madmadmad]

48. remember- PROTEST TONIGHT AT 7:00

also, please be respectful if you attend- the people that work there are our friends. our complaint is with the owner, NOT the employees.

[cui bono]

49. Yeah, but I mean why did she need the damage control?

Where was her donation "reported"? Was word spreading about a boycott?

I didn't hear anything, but I haven't gone there in over a decade and I've been pretty busy on my new job so I haven't kept up with the news as much the past couple weeks.

[madmadmad]

52. LA times online had a feature where you could see who donated

to prop 8 (no & yes) someone spotted her name, and she listed her employer as el coyote. an email then circulated encouraging a boycott as this was a gay supported business and it's owner donated in support of prop 8. restaurant started getting calls & emails, so she asked the host- who is gay- to send out an email in response asking to meet with the angered patrons. you know the rest.

[cui bono]

57. Ah, I see. Thanks for the info. n/t

[ruggerson]

50. thanks for the update

the story was actually carried on CBS radio.

[bullwinkle428]

58. It was mentioned in an NPR piece yesterday morning as well!

[GreenFiles]

51. Unbelieveable!

You're right though. Hit them in their pocketbooks. No gay money for anti-gay businesses!

[madmadmad]

53. 11/13 protest update- "HATE ON A PLATE"

that is what was chanted as cars pulled into the valet. a surprising number of cars, i might add- parking lot was half full, whereas normally parking lot would have been over capacity on a thursday with a line-up for the valet. many people were obviously showing up just to defy the protesters, including one bitter lesbian couple who looked like disappointed mccain supporters. i just can't believe when members of our community will support people that hate them- amazing. i guess there were probably jewish nazi sympathizers early on too. i mean, even if you don't agree with the boycott, wouldn't you respect a picketline of your gay brothers and sisters and not cross it?

several hundred chanting gays showed up and the mood was pretty festive, i must say. several news trucks and about 20 bored cops. lots of love from cars passing by and one dude yelled faggots and flipped us off for comic relief!

[RetiredTrotskyite]

54. I DOn't Live In LA, But...

if I did, I certainly would be boycotting El Coyote. I feel really bad about the employees, and the lady probably is being sincere, but if we don't vote with our wallets, this sort of thing will just keep going, and going, and going... If people are going to use our money to vote against our civil rights, then we do not have the obligation to help them fund homophobia--it's just that simple. Maybe if the owner had promised to come out in favour of our civil rights and promised to work or donate to that cause, I might relent, but I'd have to see deeds as opposed to words.

I think the hardest part of these boycotts is the fact that employees, many of them LGBTQ, WILL be hurt--as someone who is just recently retired, I understand that and I feel bad for their losses. But we have to start drawing the line somewhere. i think the bottom line must be: if you vote against LGBTQ civil rights, there will be economic consequences, not to mention protests, etc.

I really marvel at the haters who think that we are "harassing" those who voted in favour of bigotry. We have the right--no, the DUTY--to speak out and boycott businesses that think hate is the way to go. Get over it, guys! We are not going to be good little boys and girls and remain silent while bigots trample all over us. Those days are gone forever. We are not going to shut up until we get the rights that other Americans talk for granted.

[madmadmad]

55. exactly, troksyite!

giving gay dollars to a business that funds gay oppression is the stupidest thing ever- like offering to tie your own noose at a lynching, hoping if you are real, real nice the enraged mob will change their minds and spare your life.

seriously there would be no opposition to a boycott in ANY quarter if african-americans chose to boycott a business that gave DOCUMENTED financial support to a white supremacist group. this is no different.

[Mike 03]

56. El Coyote? That place is so over-rated.

When I lived in Los Angeles that was supposedly the "happening" place to go at the time, just like Sushi on Sunset and some of other other clubs and restaurants in the area. (This was back in the late 80s and early 90s). My wife and went there once, and found it mediocre at best. We didn't trust our own judgment, so we went back a second time. It was still mediocre. Weakest margaritas ever.

I don't think people who eat there will have any problems whatsoever boycotting that place.

[madmadmad]

59. now it's just over.

[Mike 03]

60. It sounds like it was a very dramatic event. Thanks for posting this.

You taught me things about that restaurant I never, ever knew.

[yardwork]

61. Doesn't serving alcohol also violate her faith as a Mormon?

I feel sorry for this woman because she's obviously brain-washed by her church, but at the same time my sympathy is limited because she's being so hypocritical, whether she realizes it or not. She says that she can't support any gay causes and must support taking away gay rights because of her faith, yet she has no problem violating her faith by serving alcohol and making a profit off it.

I'm tired of excusing people's bigotry because of their faith, when they turn around and violate their faith in so many other ways. It just proves that "their faith" is an empty shell, an excuse used to justify their personal opinions.

I know many who call themselves Christians and vote for Republicans because "abortion is wrong" and "the Bible says that being gay is wrong" but they violate every other line in Leviticus. Pork barbecue and fried shrimp are favored dishes among the same people who shrug and say that they just can't support gay rights "because of the Bible."

[madmadmad]

62. zealots love to cherry pick what to believe in

why not a constitutional amendment against adultery? banning divorce? their hypocrisy knows no bounds.

i also love how they invoke jesus' name every 5 seconds, yet seem to have forgot about the entire new testament of the bible.

[yardwork]

63. I'm tired of them. They've gone too far this time.

[madmadmad]

64. i agree- too far!

i'm hoping it's a good thing, though- this has lit a fire under the glbt community, and frankly, we needed to get good and riled up. it's made a lot of straight people sit up and take notice too- seeing such a immense wrong done right before their eyes has made them realize that something is seriously wrong here as well. you can't pretend discrimination isn't happening when it's played out so loudly un the public arena.

[gigs]

65. meh.

meh. she can do what she wants.

[Clintonista2]

66. As can the people who choose to boycott her restaurant

[mtnester]

67. I can name that tune in one note

go away

[Zuiderelle]

68. LOL! Nice contribution to a very old thread.

:eyes:

*sniff* *sniff*

[racaulk]

70. Thanks for kicking this two-month-old thread.

:thumbsup:

She can do what she wants, but she has learned that actions have consequences. Such as it is in a free society. Too bad, so sad.

[bluedawg12]

71. feh. Spend gay dollars wisely.

[IndianaGreen]

72. Thanks for kicking this old thread up!

The Mormon bitch can do what she wants, and LGBTs and their allies will do their boycott.

[mitchtv]

73. Welcome to DU LGBT forum

Enjoy your stay
Free Pizza

[Ioo]

69. deleted