Christian Radio Host Holding Texas Grocery Chain Accountable
by Jody Brown
July 10, 2006
(AgapePress) - - San Antonio, Texas -- site of the famous 19th-century battle at the Alamo -- is now host to another potential battle that is brewing, this one between homosexual activists and conservative Christians. The battle is centered on, of all things, a statewide chain of grocery stores.
The H-E-B Grocery Company, with headquarters in Kerrville, began more than 100 years ago with one tiny family store. It now boasts over 300 stores across the Lone Star State and in northern Mexico and more than 56,000 employees. It also boasts of giving millions of dollars annually to charitable organizations, educational initiatives, and relief efforts in the areas it serves. But its recent, albeit small ($300) donation to Pridefest San Antonio -- a pro-homosexual celebration -- has caught the attention of a local Christian radio personality.
Adam McManus hosts a daily drive-time, live call-in talk show called "Take A Stand" on KSLR (630 AM), a Salem Communications radio station. He feels that H-E-B was founded on solid Christian values in 1905, but contends that Charles Butt, who has been the chain's CEO since 1971, has clearly taken the company in a different direction.
"On Saturday, June 17, much to the disappointment of loyal customers throughout South Texas, H-E-B chose to sponsor the San Antonio Homosexual Pridefest at Hemisfair Park ..," McManus writes on his website, noting the company has contributed financially to similar observances in Austin as well. In fact, he says, the grocery store chain displayed a float in an Austin homosexual parade two weeks before the Hemisfair event -- right alongside floats from groups such as The Texas Gay Rodeo Association, The Transgender Advocates of Central Texas, and the Central Texas Boys of Leather.
McManus has since led three pickets at various H-E-B outlets in the Alamo City, challenged his listeners to boycott H-E-B -- and provided proof on his website of the company's promotion of the homosexual agenda. He claims his exposing of the company's involvement with the pro-homosexual event has resulted in "hundreds" of his listeners e-mailing and calling H-E-B with their complaints.
In an interview with the San Antonio Express-News, a spokeswoman with H-E-B explained that "inclusiveness" has always been an element of the company's policy. "We want to treat all our customers and [employees] with dignity and respect," stated Winell Herron, noting the company gives "millions of dollars annually" to charities and educational entities. The company says the donation in question was approved by H-E-B's Regional Diversity Council.
But the radio talk-show host told the Express-News that it is not the amount of the financial contribution that bothers him, but the principle. He said Christians are protesting that H-E-B would give any amount of money "to a group of people defined by their sin."
And McManus notes that no one would argue with H-E-B that it should treat its customers and employees with dignity and respect, regardless of their sexual preference. "But in no way," he says, "does that translate to agreement with and financial support of having unnatural, immoral, unbiblical sex with one's own gender." McManus also states that area Christians are bothered that H-E-B, "with deep roots in Christianity, would so willingly abandon their principles for the sake of political correctness."
Hoping to energize the Christian community to convince H-E-B it is making a poor business decision, McManus is offering an 11-step action plan and online petition on his website. Among the steps is an attempt to demonstrate, via consumers' receipts from area competitors, how much money the grocer has lost by "promoting the radical homosexual agenda and turning their back on Texas Christian families," says McManus.
According to the Express-News, members of the San Antonio homosexual community have begun a counter-campaign to McManus' efforts, and are urging individuals to contact H-E-B and thank the company for its commitment to diversity.
Other sponsors of the San Antonio event included Well Fargo Bank, The Gay and Lesbian Yellow Pages, Halo Beers, and Miller Lite.
