POLITICS: The power of green

Green is only one of the colors in the gay rainbow flag, but it's often the most influential color for bringing about change.

Right or wrong, good or bad, green (money) talks and gets people moving.

Orbitz, the online travel company, announced on June 9 it is reviewing its policy about advertising on Fox News Channel and other networks known for anti-LGBT content. The decision comes after news that Orbitz advertised on Fox sparked a public outcry among gay rights groups.

A conversation between The Courage Campaign and Orbitz was also instrumental in the decision, according to a written statement from Brian Hoyt, an Orbitz executive.

"Orbitz has a longstanding record within the LGBT and allies community who recognize us as a company which embraces tolerance, nondiscrimination and equality not only with our words but with our actions," Hoyt said. "That is best shown by our policies and our longstanding partnerships with many national LGBT leaders."

It's a noble statement -- one I appreciate. Of course there's a financial component as well.
I recall seeing an Orbitz television ad, shortly after the company was started in 2001, that featured a gay reference. I relished the idea of being "included" as a part of its target audience. It was just a TV commercial, so ordinarily it wouldn't have been a moment for me. But it was so rare and nice to see that I began to consider Orbitz for making travel plans.

Consider all of the LGBT travelers out there who may have seen that ad. I haven't done a survey or a study, but the majority of the gay people I know travel -- a lot. In addition to traveling for work and pleasure domestically, some take at least two international trips per year.

That's a lot of green (money) for travel companies like Orbitz to earn or lose, if you also take into account the travel dollars of the "allies" mentioned in Hoyt's statement.

Sometimes a simple gesture -- closing your wallet and slipping it back into your pocket -- provides the strongest incentive to correct an action.

Opponents of LGBT rights know this all too well.

The American Family Association recently called for a boycott of Old Navy stores. The retail company is selling T-shirts that represent gay pride, which is being celebrated internationally this month.  The shirts, which were also condemned by Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, show a rainbow flag or the words "Love Proudly" in rainbow colors. A portion of the proceeds from sales goes to support the national anti-bullying "It Gets Better" campaign.

An executive with American Family Association advised members to show Old Navy they won't be shopping there until the company changes its stance. And I can imagine supporters of the pride message urging people to go out and buy the shirts (They're fun shirts!).

So who wins the issue? The side with the right point of view, of course. And whichever side gets the most people to withhold funds or flood the coffers in their favor.