AHA asked to boycott California hotel owned by anti-gay marriage Prop 8 supporter
Whereas, The AHA supports combating discrimination based on sexual orientation;1
Whereas, The 2010 AHA annual meeting is currently scheduled to take place at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego;
Whereas, Doug Manchester, the owner of the hotel has made a $125,000 contribution in support of Proposition 8 in California, which would deny marriage rights to same-sex partners;
Whereas, A coalition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) and labor activists has called for a boycott of the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego;2 Whereas, The AHA should hold its annual meetings in venues that uphold the anti-discrimination standards that the AHA expects from academic professionals and institutions; and
Whereas, The AHA should not force its members to choose between honoring the boycott of the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego and attending the annual meeting;
Resolved,That the AHA will not conduct its 2010 annual meeting at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego.
Notes
1. Committee on Women Historians, “Gender Equity in the Academic History Workplace: Best Practices,” May 2005, http://www.historians.org/governance/cwh/GenderEquity.cfm.
2. The boycott has been called by UNITE-HERE, Sleep with the Right People Coalition, The San Diego LGBT Community Center, San Diego Pride at Work, and Californian Against Hate. It has been endorsed by San Diego City Councilmember Donna Frye; Congressman Bob Filner; Todd Gloria, Former Chairman, San Diego GLBT Center and community and people-of-color activist; City Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirea; City Commissioner Bob Faulkner; Carlos Marquez, co-chair, San Diego Pride at Work; Stephen Whitburn, San Diego District 3 City Council candidate; Gilbert Baker, creator of the Rainbow Flag; Ron deHarte, Executive Director, San Diego Pride; Cleve Jones, NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt.