Lands’ End has pulled down an interview with radical
abortion feminist Gloria Steinem, and apologized to its customers, writes
Dustin Siggins for The Stream.
“We understand that some of our customers were offended by
the inclusion of an interview in a recent catalog with Gloria Steinem on her
quest for women’s equality,” said the statement, which was issued to The
Stream and other press outlets. “We thought it was a good idea and we heard
from our customers that, for different reasons, it wasn’t. For that, we sincerely apologize. Our goal was to feature individuals with
different interests and backgrounds that have made a difference for our new
Legends Series, not to take any political or religious stance.”
Lands’ End’s decision was quickly applauded by PR and branding
consultant Marana Moore who said, “Lands’
End is to be commended for their alacrity in response to this issue. They have shown sensitivity to patrons who
felt it inappropriate that such political activism be celebrated in conjunction
with what is broadly seen as a religious, family-based holiday. Although it will be interesting to see what
steps the brand may take next, this decision should reflect positively with
their consumer base.”
Robert Kuykendall, National Outreach Director for 2nd Vote, says the quick action by
Lands’ End should prove an inspiration. “By scrubbing the Gloria Steinem interview
from its website and issuing an apology,” he said, “Lands’ End is proving that
companies will respond when conservatives hold them accountable for their
advocacy.” However, as Kuykendall notes,
questions do remain: “While the acknowledgement of their customers’ values is
commendable, 2nd Vote believes that
Lands’ End must still make assurances that our shopping dollars won’t be used
to fund advocacy that stands in stark contrast to our values by publicly
discontinuing its relationship with the ERA Coalition.”
A spokesperson for Lands’ End did not immediately respond as
to whether this apology means they will no longer donate to the Equal Rights
Amendment (ERA) Coalition promoted by Steinem in the piece. The ERA Coalition promotes contraception and
abortion as part of “women’s equality” in America.
The Stream also
asked whether Lands’ End would feature a pro-life woman for its “Legends Series”
…for which Steinem appeared in the spring catalog.
Kristi Hamrick, spokesperson for Americans United for Life,
told The Stream, “The
vast majority of Americans don’t agree with abortion the way it’s practiced in
America today, through all nine months of pregnancy, for any reason whatsoever,
even for sex-selection and with taxpayer subsidies. The fact is, whether it’s Lands’ End or anyone
else, you need pro-life voices, as well.”
The apology and website scrub came after the popular school
clothes fashion company faced a barrage of criticism from pro-life and
Christian customers through social media and other mediums. Several pro-life women told The Stream they opposed the juxtaposition of
Steinem in the same issue that featured children engaging in an Easter egg
hunt.
“This profile on Gloria Steinem — conducted by Lands’ End
CEO Federica Marchionni, no less — is revolting,” Media Research Center
reporter Katie Yoder told The Stream about the original spread. “A feminist who adores abortion and hates
religion doesn’t deserve one inch in a catalog that also celebrates Easter and
family.”
Regnery Publishing Senior Managing Editor Maria Ruhl called
the juxtaposition “jarring,” while the Institute on Religion and Democracy
Director of Evangelical Outreach Chelsen Vicari said it was “heartbreaking” but
“not surprising … to see a catalogue praise a perpetuator of the culture of
death instead of celebrate a holiday dedicated to the cross and Christ’s
triumph over death.”
Dustin Siggins goes on to write, “Steinem is well-known for
her decades of abortion advocacy. Last
year, she said that she became a feminist when she covered the issue of
abortion in the 1960s as a journalist. ‘If
one in three of us in this nation, then and now, has had this experience [of
abortion] at sometime in our lives, why is it illegal, why is it dangerous? Who
owns women’s bodies, who says we can’t control our own reproductive lives?’ Other statements by Steinem include telling PBS that opposing Planned Parenthood is
related to racism and ‘patriarchy,’ and in 2013 saying that former Texas
Governor Rick Perry ‘will go down in history as an authoritarian, a
dictatorial, unacceptable American’ for defunding Planned Parenthood. She has also blamed the Pope for global
warming and for not supporting abortion, said that economics classes ‘should
start with reproduction, not production,’ and believes that ‘reproductive
rights are a fundamental human right like freedom of speech.’ ”
Don’t ever underestimate the importance of your protest for
pro-life. The cultural tide of death is
ever turning toward life.
Rev. Dr.
Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor,
Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel
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