Pro-life, Anti-'za

Local restaurateur tells boycotters to take a flying leap.

By Amy Roe

Flying Pie Pizzeria owner Ty DuPuis says he never imagined that $20 coupons he had given Planned Parenthood for its volunteers in Portland would make his business the target of an anti-abortion group based in Washington, D.C.

But, in fact, Flying Pie now finds itself threatened with a national boycott unless it promises never to support Planned Parenthood again. "It is not in the best interest of any corporations to become embroiled in such a controversial issue," warned Douglas R. Scott, president of Life Decisions International, in a March 14 letter to DuPuis. "Doing so is simply bad business. We eagerly await your decision."

In a testy written response, DuPuis gave the pro-life group a slice of his mind, maintaining that his two Portland-area pizzerias would continue to support a wide range of community groups--including Planned Parenthood. Scott replied, DuPuis says, comparing the $20 pizza gift certificates to donations to the Ku Klux Klan.

Flying Pie isn't the only local business to come under fire from the anti-abortion group. Perk Coffee (formerly Coffee Passion), an independent coffeehouse on Southeast Foster Road, also received a letter from LDI, as did Annie Bloom's Books and Widmer Brewing Co.

Greg Parker, owner of Perk, says he's never made donations to Planned Parenthood. "All we do is make them coffee on occasion," Parker says.

Nancy Bennett, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette, says she has no idea how many businesses have received the threats. She figures Portland may be a target because it hosted Planned Parenthood's annual national meeting. The March 27 confab was nearly ambushed by another pro-life group (see "Foiling the Planned Parenthood Trap," WW, April 2, 2003). LDI did not return calls for comment.

DuPuis thinks LDI's boycott is "misguided" and doesn't expect it to bite into pizza sales: "I don't think it has any power in Portland right now," he told WW.

Widmer, however, isn't dismissing the boycott just yet. Tim McFall, vice-president of marketing, says the local brewery hasn't decided whether to make any changes as a result of LDI's letter.

WWeek 2015

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