UNITE HERE announced in a press release today that The San Diego Business Journal reports the boycott against San Diego’s Manchester Hyatt is costing the hotel millions of dollars.
Gay activists and labor unions began the boycott call against the hotel this past summer; reacting to the $125,000 donation made in support of Prop 8 by the hotel’s owner, Doug Manchester. The cost of the boycott to the hotel has been placed at $2.4 million to date.
UNITE HERE, Local 30 has staged weekly protests outside the Manchester Hyatt, to which the Marketing Manager for the Manchester Hyatt, Kelly Commerford, confirmed has cost the hotel $2.4 million in cancelled bookings and meetings. Doug Manchester’s high profile donation against same sex marriage and the ensuing boycott was one of the first of the Prop 8 battle.
Organizers of the boycott are asking Hyatt to condemn Manchester’s donation, whilst local San Diego competitors, including Evan’s Hotels, have used the opportunity to display their pro-equality stance, having taken out full page ads in local newspapers. Many boycott organizers and supporters are angry that Hyatt utilizes a “gay friendly” publicity and marketing strategy, yet does not put their full backing behind the LGBT community. Essentially, Hyatt is biting the hand that feeds it.
As the Hyatt’s second largest property, the success of the boycott against San Diego’s Manchester Hyatt carries with it power beyond dollars. It is an explicit display that being kind to the face of the LGBT community and working against their fundamental rights is counterproductive. Cleve Jones, GLBT organizer with UNITE HERE, stated, “While we demand change in state capitols and in Washington on marriage equality, we cannot tolerate injustice and inaction in our backyard. Hyatt still earns millions from its relationship with Manchester. That is hypocritical and wrong.”
The continued efforts of UNITE HERE on the ground at the Manchester Hyatt, as well as the responsible actions being taken by organizations and individuals, alike, cancelling and refusing to book at the hotel is proving to be a great success. As the economy continues to nose dive and travel dollars drop, removing a hefty source of income from this San Diego hotel will continue to be a powerful display against those who support injustice. BOYCOTT SAN DIEGO’S MANCHESTER HYATT.
San Diego Gay Friendly Hotel: www.EvansHotels.com
(Source: Press release from Daniel Rottenstreich, Political Director of UNITE HERE, www.unitehere.org.)
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