Cape Town - International Pride Month may be over, but a couple of Christians are intent on punishing Woolworths for its initiative in June to promote Pride Month and have been protesting outside the retailer’s head office in Cape Town this week.
The ChristianView Network’s Philip Rosenthal and his colleague Billy Baker, who describes himself as a member of the Christian community in Cape Town, spent part of their day on Wednesday asking people to boycott the retailer.
ChristianView Network is a public advocacy organisation that has been promoting a biblical world view in South Africa since 2000.
Its focus areas are: Sanctity of Life, Sanctity of Marriage, Education Freedom and Religious Freedom.
The two men have held previous pickets at Woolworths stores elsewhere in Cape Town.
Rosenthal said: “There have been many other protests outside stores but this is the first one outside head office.”
He said a number of the Woolworths staff stopped to chat to them, asked questions and some took photos.
Rosenthal said they tried to meet Woolworths chief executive Roy Bagattini but were told he was on leave this week.
Throughout June, Woolworths marked International Pride Month with a campaign in its stores.
A statement from the retailer said: “The campaign forms part of the Woolworths Inclusive Justice Initiative, a natural evolution of the company’s Good Business Journey and commitment to care for the environment, people, and communities.”
“The response to the campaign, which recognises that LGBTQIA+ people are a marginalised group and therefore more likely to face discrimination and violence, has largely been positive and supportive.
“However, there has also been a fair amount of negative response.
“Misinformation about the campaign has been rife and is being spread on social media platforms and via WhatsApp groups.”
Woolworths said the misinformation about the campaign included claims that the campaign included and targeted children.
It said that in fact the campaign merchandise was exclusively adult wear, and kids were not featured in any of the displays or campaign material.
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za