In a series of interviews conducted with an angry Discover Card holder, discriminated against entrepreneurs as well as Visa Card and American Express spokespersons, the Gannett reporter revealed that gay-friendly and adult businesses including Badpuppy Enterprises, Inc. have received notification from Novus Corporation, ending Discover Card's merchant relationship with their businesses.

The Gannett paper said that Discover Card's reason for such termination was that the censored adult merchants "offer products with disapproved sexual orientation or material content."

Upon publication of the Florida Today story, afternoon radio stations were abuzz with the free speech controversy.

Cape Canaveral's Fairvilla Mega Store, perhaps the largest singular adult store site extant, has also been declared off limits to customers using Discover Card. The store caters mainly but not exclusively to a heterosexually-inclined clientele.

In Ft. Lauderdale, Mark Possein, the owner of an adult clothing boutique, Catalog X, was notified that Discover Card would no longer honor customer purchases made at his store. "In this day and age," he told Florida Today, this is stupid for a company that's trying to gain market share."

Possein also told the newspaper that the adult section in his store was very small, and that one third of his sales are in clothes.

Discover's director of media relations revealed that Discover Card's policy has been in force since 1986, and that this policy covers any adult material---ranging from books to novelties.

Soljane Martinez writes: "That's why it was a surprise to officials at Badpuppy Enterprises Inc., Cocoa-based publisher of online publication GayToday. They were informed recently by Discover Card owner Novus Services that 'We are ending our merchant relationship with you.'

Bill Pinyon, President of Badpuppy Enterprises, Inc. told GayToday on July 10 after receiving Discover Card's cancellation notification, that he had called the company and been told that indeed Badpuppy as well as similar adult businesses were being deliberately cut off under Discover Card policies.

Two weeks ago at GayToday's July 10 presstime, Badpuppy had no written confirmation of this fact, only an oral confirmation. GayToday (July 10) therefore reported: "Badpuppy's management believe they have detected in Novus' behavior a strong undercurrent of anti-gay, anti-adult site prejudice." Florida Today confirms that until the day Badpuppy Enterprises was notified of Discover Card's severing of its business relationship, that "subscribers could pay for the on-line service with a Discover Card." (Italics by GayToday)

A web site informing the public about Discover Card's unexpected "Big Brother" tactics has appeared on the Internet. It is discoversux.com and/or discovercardsux.com Such quick appearances of fury in cyberspace demonstrate a new lifeline for the fierce free-speech ethic, standing up to the Novus Corporation and its Discover Card censors. "Lets make Novus nervous," said one "Boycott Discover Card" activist.

Fairvilla Mega Store's marketing head, Debra Peterson, candid and angry in Florida Today says :"They've (Discover Card) never walked in this store. How can they tell whether we are worthy or not?"

Fairvilla (with selections for many tastes--including even gay novels by GayToday contributor Perry Brass and copies of the Brad Pitt edition Playgirl) has provided advertising revenue for Florida's best-known free speech and gay friendly radio stations, including REAL Radio. Fairvilla's parent store in Orlando is approximately a mile down the road from The Parliament House, a major gay resort. In Cape Canaveral, the huge adult store, larger than its parent, is a circular building surrounded by ample parking space, located in the very heart of Florida's Space Coast.

Florida Today interviewed GayToday reader Steve Yates, a Cape resident who: "canceled his Discover account when he heard about the cutoff." An incensed Yates says: "Anybody that attacks the gay community, I say attack them---boycott,"

Visa Card spokeswoman Kelly Presta explained to Florida Today that Visa is well aware that "We have no legal right to limit, interfere or act as Big Brother" for card-carrying customers.

American Express Co. spokesman told Gannett's reporter that "Our card members are free to use their American Express card for purchases wherever the card is accepted."

GayToday's July 10 editorial account is quoted saying that Discover's censoring "is likely to send shock waves through adult subscription sites worldwide."

"Other stores may be seeing the letters (of notification from Discover Card) in their mailboxes as well," predicts Florida Today. Discover Card officials back this prediction.

With its dark threats, Novus' meddling challenge to Americans who value the promise of free expression, is most disturbingly made by Discover Card's Beth Metzler: She tells the Gannett paper: "If we inadvertently sign on a company, and we later find out the nature of their material, we will close (their accounts)."

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To read GayToday's first article on this story click here!

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