Don't Be a Hater - Like its predecessors StopDrLaura.com and DontGiveToUVa.com, the political action website Virginia is for HATERS represents a well-intentioned effort using highly questionable tactics. Especially unfathomable is the program -- pushed by VIFH -- to boycott J.Crew (headquartered in Jerry Falwell's hometown of Lynchburg) despite that company's blamelessness in the current legal mess. (The website's authors admit there's "little logic" to choosing such a target, but they just felt like "lashing out.") The support of Equality Virginia for this stunt, as reported in the Blade, just makes the group look bad.

All the posturing obscures what I think is a valid point, which is that legislating a regressive social environment does nothing to advance Virginia's economic interests. At least the threat of a boycott gives more reasonable people a tangible example of such possible harm, even if the actual boycott is likely to have zero discernable effect. But ultimately it is going to be up to more sober political and economic actors to press the case. Let's hope they can make headway in convincing Richmond that the current direction is bad not just for gays but for all Virginians.

All that is beside the point, however, because the J.Crew boycott is premised upon the theory that, "until Virginia wakes up and restores the rule of law, no self-respecting homo will be seen in a roll-neck sweater or barn jacket." Here the website authors make the crucial mistake of assuming a self-respecting homo should ever be seen in such an outfit. (Well, they are from Seattle, after all.)