newsbrief
Taco Bell, rated among the worst of fast-food chains for its unhealthy menus, is not looking too good on the civil-rights front either. Jason Smith, an openly gay employee of a Taco Bell restaurant, and a member of the nationwide network of queer activists Connecting Rainbows, was dismissed from his job in April 2011 after another employee allegedly made a threat against Mr. Smith’s life and safety based on Mr. Smith’s sexual orientation.
A Taco Bell manager witnessed the threat. After Mr. Smith was dismissed, Taco Bell conditioned Mr. Smith’s return to his job only after Mr. Smith deleted each of his Facebook profiles and the entire website of Connecting Rainbows, the former which Mr. Smith refused, and the latter over which Smith has no control. To learn more about the incident, read Smith’s description of the events at connecting rainbows.
Connecting Rainbows immediately began a multitiered protest, including an online petition and street theater outside a Manhattan branch of Taco Bell in which CR members pretended to be Taco Bell managers, seeking to hire homophobic bigots to increase “diversity.” For video visit youtube. Another video is on youtube too.
As part of the protest, a website was created entitled “Bigot Bell” with a logo identical to the Taco Bell logo except for replacing the word “Taco” with the word “bigot.” This website and the use of a parody of the logo brought immediate response from Taco Bell officials. A law firm representing Taco Bell wrote, “Please be aware that the worker at issue was not an employee of either YUM Brands or Taco Bell…In any event, our clients, which encourage diversity in the workplace, do not condone discriminatoiry employment practices, which are expressly prohibited by our clients’ own policies.”
The claim that the “worker at issue” was not a Taco Bell employee apparently refers to the probability that the worker was employed by the local Taco Bell franchise holder rather than directly by the Taco Bell parent corporation.
On June 3, Taco Bell Global Trademark Manager Lisa Howard wrote to Network Solutions, the server carrying the Bigot Bell site, requesting the removal of the logo parody and saying, “We note your failure to take down the offending site could result in you being held contributorily and/ or vicariously liable for the acts complained of… ” The Bigot Bell site now displays a “censored” sticker over the logo parody.
In its correspondence with Louis Flores, who has represented Connecting Rainbows in this matter, Taco Bell has made it clear it is prepared to devote all necessary resources to protecting its logo. However, there was no comment regarding what resources or corporate influence would be brought to bear to correct the injustice allegedly suffered by Jason Smith.
newsbrief
Taco Bell, rated among the worst of fast-food chains for its unhealthy menus, is not looking too good on the civil-rights front either. Jason Smith, an openly gay employee of a Taco Bell restaurant, and a member of the nationwide network of queer activists Connecting Rainbows, was dismissed from his job in April 2011 after another employee allegedly made a threat against Mr. Smith’s life and safety based on Mr. Smith’s sexual orientation.
