Singer Gloria Estefan has defended
Target's commitment to the gay community.
The 54-year-old Cuban native has been
criticized for inking an exclusive deal with the retail giant.
Estefan's upcoming album Miss Little Havana will be sold
exclusively at Target.
Last year, Target became the
target of a boycott over it's $150,000 contribution to MN
Forward, an independent political fund that supported Tom Emmer's
gubernatorial bid. Emmer objects to gay rights and has been linked
to tea party backer Bradlee Dean, a strong opponent of gay rights.
(Related: Bradlee
Dean sues MSNBC and Rachel Maddow.)
In March, Target
sued Canvass For A Cause (CFAC), a San Diego-based progressive
group that supports gay marriage. The retailer alleged that CFAC's
discussions with its customers outside its stores were disruptive and
driving away customers.
“I would never work with someone who
is anti-gay,” Estefan told Michigan gay weekly Pride
Source. “I know that they donated to a third party who
then donated to this candidate and – I did my homework – since
then they donated $150,000 to that candidate. They apologized
profusely for having done so, and they have established an actual
committee that oversees all political donations to make sure that
this doesn't happen again. They've also donated a half-million
dollars to LGBT organizations. They give domestic partner benefits.”
“They've really supported very much
their gay peeps,” she said.
Estefan also reiterated that she
supports gay marriage: “I think everyone should be able to marry
who they love, and it just should be.”
(Related: Gloria
Estefan says she once considered 'checking out' in It Gets Better
video.)