Gay-rights group drops Garff boycott

A gay-rights group has dropped its boycott of the Ken Garff Automotive Group.

The boycott, which originated over a $100,000 donation the car dealer's wife made in support of Proposition 8 — which banned gay marriage in California — was lifted Wednesday afternoon, said Californians Against Hate founder Fred Karger.

"We're very pleased," said Karger, who announced the boycott of Garff dealerships in six states Feb. 11.

Some terms of the agreement could not be released, but Garff officials agreed to adopt a nondiscrimination policy for gay, lesbian and transgender employees, said Bruce Bastian, a Utah gay-rights advocate who mediated the process.

"They were almost there anyway," Bastian said of the policy. "The main thing was we were able to talk things through and they had a better understanding of … why what they did hurt. They want to be our friends, not our enemies."

Chief executive officer John Garff could not immediately be reached for comment Friday evening.

— Aaron Falk