Tell The Chamber not to discriminate

The Issue

On Wednesday December 21st, 2011 the following two emails were sent out from the Clark County WA Chamber of Commerce email account.

From: Clark County Chamber of Commerce
Date: Wed, Dec 21, 2011 at 7:25 PM
Subject: Member Update
To: (Name removed at recipients request)

Dear (Name removed at recipients request)

In order to help maintain the integrity of our website, we ask that all members refrain from posting any listings that reference or involve the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community. We feel that that these businesses and listings have no place in Clark County.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Clark County Chamber of Commerce
Date: Wed, Dec 21, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Subject: Member Update
To: (Name removed at recipients request)

Dear (Name removed at recipients request)
In order to ensure the integrity of our website, we ask that all members refrain from listing any businesses that reference or involve the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community. We feel the website would be better if such immoral businesses stayed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They then sent the following email:

From: Clark County Chamber of Commerce
Date: Wed, Dec 21, 2011 at 8:21 PM
Subject: Member Update - correction
To: (Name removed at recipients request)
Dear (Name removed at recipients request)

Our apologies, please disregard the earlier email and it was send to general membership in error.

Happy holidays,

Clark County Chamber of Commerce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whether sent out by mistake to the general email list or to a specific account the content of this email is discriminatory and hateful in it's content. As someone who believes that all people should be treated with respect I believe the Chamber, at the very least, owes an apology to the GLBTQ community, it's membership and the general public. An email to all effected as well as a public retraction and apology is the very least that should be expected.

avatar of the starter
Richard HartwellPetition StarterI am committed to my wife and family, my friends and to the cause of leaving people and the world I come in contact with a better place than how I found it. As an activist and advocate much of my time is taken up with immigration rights which I view as an extension of Human and civil rights. You can find me on Twitter at: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/rahartwell" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/#!/rahartwell</a> on facebook at: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hartwellr" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/hartwellr</a> ADT-Action Dream Team has a public facebook page at: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/actiondreamteam" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/actiondreamteam</a>
Media inquiries
This petition had 274 supporters

The Issue

On Wednesday December 21st, 2011 the following two emails were sent out from the Clark County WA Chamber of Commerce email account.

From: Clark County Chamber of Commerce
Date: Wed, Dec 21, 2011 at 7:25 PM
Subject: Member Update
To: (Name removed at recipients request)

Dear (Name removed at recipients request)

In order to help maintain the integrity of our website, we ask that all members refrain from posting any listings that reference or involve the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community. We feel that that these businesses and listings have no place in Clark County.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Clark County Chamber of Commerce
Date: Wed, Dec 21, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Subject: Member Update
To: (Name removed at recipients request)

Dear (Name removed at recipients request)
In order to ensure the integrity of our website, we ask that all members refrain from listing any businesses that reference or involve the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community. We feel the website would be better if such immoral businesses stayed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They then sent the following email:

From: Clark County Chamber of Commerce
Date: Wed, Dec 21, 2011 at 8:21 PM
Subject: Member Update - correction
To: (Name removed at recipients request)
Dear (Name removed at recipients request)

Our apologies, please disregard the earlier email and it was send to general membership in error.

Happy holidays,

Clark County Chamber of Commerce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whether sent out by mistake to the general email list or to a specific account the content of this email is discriminatory and hateful in it's content. As someone who believes that all people should be treated with respect I believe the Chamber, at the very least, owes an apology to the GLBTQ community, it's membership and the general public. An email to all effected as well as a public retraction and apology is the very least that should be expected.

avatar of the starter
Richard HartwellPetition StarterI am committed to my wife and family, my friends and to the cause of leaving people and the world I come in contact with a better place than how I found it. As an activist and advocate much of my time is taken up with immigration rights which I view as an extension of Human and civil rights. You can find me on Twitter at: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/rahartwell" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/#!/rahartwell</a> on facebook at: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hartwellr" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/hartwellr</a> ADT-Action Dream Team has a public facebook page at: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/actiondreamteam" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/actiondreamteam</a>
Media inquiries

The Decision Makers

Clark County WA Chamber of Commerce
Clark County WA Chamber of Commerce

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Petition created on December 21, 2011