The New York Times profiled the owner of Replacements, Ltd., the fantastic source for filling out your collection of china, silver, and other dinnerware.
In the months leading up to North Carolina’s vote this month to ban gay marriage, most of the state’s business leaders were conspicuously silent. While some executives spoke out against it as individuals, not one Fortune 500 company based in North Carolina, including Bank of America, Duke Energy, VF Corporation and Lowe’s, opposed it.
But one company did: Replacements Limited, which sells silver, china and glassware, and is based in Greensboro. Its founder and chairman, Bob Page, is gay. The company lobbied legislators, contributed money to causes supporting gay marriage, rented a billboard along the interstate near its headquarters, and sold T-shirts at its showroom.
North Carolina voters supported the constitutional amendment, disappointingly, and Page, and the company have taken some heat.
The Times article had me in tears.
Page is a brave, honest, and noble soul.
I’ve ordered pieces from Replacements before, and will now actively seek out reasons to do so going forward.
I hope that everyone who believes in marriage equality will do so as well, and would suggest that brides and grooms creating registries do so with Replacements to support a business that supports equality, dignity, and love. We should make sure that the business thrives, since the business took a principled stand for what is right.
nonsequiteuse 