Secondary Boycotts Against Businesses Displaying Rainbow Flags

In recent weeks, there has been a groundswell of so-called group "boycott" activity aimed at businesses that have publicly expressed solidarity with historically marginalized and underrepresented groups. Prominent examples include boycotts against Bud Light (a beer made by Anheuser-Busch), Target, NorthFace, and Kohl's. The latter retailers have been accused by certain groups of displaying rainbow "PRIDE" flags in their stores, which have emerged as a political and cultural wedge issue - especially during PRIDE month.

Group boycotts have a long and illustrious history, dating back to the civil rights movement. The NAACP famously organized boycotts by African-Americans of white-owned businesses as a means of demonstrating economic clout and bringing pressure to bear on legislatures to protect the rights of minorities. In response to the Montgomery boycott, the Supreme Court famously held in National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Claiborne