Update on Boycotting American Girl Doll for Supporting Abortion
Back in this post I shared with you all how I bought my first AG doll through Craigslist, and how I'd refused to buy from them ever since I was nine years old because I'd heard they supported abortion.
Well, my cousin asked me how I knew that they supported abortion, or if it was just a rumor. Her mom, my aunt, didn't remember telling me. And no amount of words could prod their memories or change mine... haha.
We had a fun family argument about it, which resulted with me calling the company.
And so the following fun resulted:
Call #1
me: Hello, I have an unusual question, but do you all support abortion?
lady: *sounding defensive* I can't answer that.
me: Is there someone that can?
lady: *gives me another number to call*
Call #2
me: Hello, I was wondering if you could answer a question about American Girl. Do you all support abortion?
Guy: Uhh... I'm not going to answer that.
Me: I was told if I called here I could get an answer.
Guy: *pause* Let me put you on hold
I was on hold for ten seconds and then he hung up on me.
Call #3:
(I called again, of course)
Me: *rambling on for a bit, trying to present the question "do you support abortion" less awkwardly.
Lady: We don't take a stance on that. We don't support them, we don't not support them.
Oooooohhkaayyy. So that was a really vague answer. And totally didn't explain why so many people have boycotted AG for supporting abortion. A boycott this big doesn't just happen.
So I decided to do some research .
Through online googling I discovered that in 2005 a pro-life group spread a boycott against American Girl for funding a company called Girl Inc. that supported abortion.
American Girl made bracelets, where 70% of the profits went to Girl Inc. and they were giving an additional $50,000. Girls Inc. is a pro-lesbian, pro-abortion company.
Funny thing, 2005 would have been the year I was going to order my doll then didn't because I'd heard from an aunt (I think) that they supported abortion. So this all adds up with what I remember.
According to the article I linked above, the writer believed American Girl was taking the boycott seriously. And so they encouraged people to keep up the good work.
After all this, I called again, this time trying a new approach. You know me... I was going to get the facts, even if I had to strangle it out of AG ;D
Call #4
Me: Hello, I was wondering if you all support Girls Inc. (see I didn't say abortion this time!)
Lady: We don't. We had one campaign with them that ran in 2005. Since then we've never done anything like that again.
Me: So you have not had a campaign like that or given money away to places of any sort again?
Lady: Correct, it was a one time thing.
Me: Oh, OK. Thanks. Have you heard the rumor that you all support abortion?
Lady: *laughs* Yes, I have. It was stemmed from that. But, we don't support abortion.
Me: So, to be clear, you don't support abortion nor homosexuality?
Lady: correct.
Well, that conversation definitely went better. Lady wasn't defensive or hesitant... helps having informed questions ;)
So, all you people that boycott AG... it's OK to buy from them.
But I'm still not planning on it, haha! I have my doll. I not longer like their books - they are so feministic! In fact maybe I should write a whole post on why I no longer read their books. What do you think? Write, yea or nay?
And most of all because of that nine-year old experience I have learned how to save my money, how to spend it... and how to not spend it. And to be honest, there are many, many better ways to spend my money right now ;D