In February 2018, a boycott emerged against the U.S. gun rights advocacy group National Rifle Association of America (NRA) and its business affiliates. The boycott and social media activism campaign arose in the aftermath of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. The NRA was criticized for its response, including its recommendation for schools to arm teachers and opposition to bans on certain weapons. Calls for companies to sever their ties to the NRA resulted in several companies discontinuing their business relationships with the NRA and cancelling discount programs offered to NRA members. The boycott extended to Canada where Mountain Equipment Co-op and the Running Room cut supplier relationships with Vista Outdoor. Public pressure also caused a number of gun retailers to increase the age required to buy firearms and place other restrictions on gun sales.
Background
After the Parkland shooting, there was an unprecedented upsurge of public support for gun control advocacy groups and significant backlash against the NRA for its response to the shooting, having argued that schools required more armed security to protect against the possibility of future attacks, and its continued calls to preserving the right to own semi-automatic firearms, such as those used in the shooting.
On February 20, 2018, ThinkProgress asked over two dozen corporations offering discounts to NRA members whether they would continue their relationships with the NRA. Several companies terminated their agreements with the NRA, and their announcements went viral, along with hashtags such as #BoycottNRA, started by activists like Michael Skolnik. One of the first to respond to the boycott, First National Bank of Omaha, the largest privately held bank in the United States, announced that it will not renew its deal for the "official credit card of the NRA".
Companies involved
Affinity marketing
One class of companies targeted generally offer or offered discounts or free trials to NRA members, often advertised on the NRA website, in what is often termed affinity marketing. Access to discounts is a benefit of paying NRA membership dues and the NRA promotes the opportunity to save hundreds of dollars more than the cost of membership.
Severed ties
Companies that have severed ties with the NRA as of February 24, 2018, span banks, airlines, car rental services, hotels, and software companies. They include:
Avis Budget Group (Avis, Budget and Hertz) Allied Van Lines and North American Van Lines both owned by Sirva Best Western Delta Air Lines Enterprise Holdings (Enterprise, National and Alamo) First National Bank of Omaha Harland Clarke Direct Selling Solutions Paramount Rx Personify Corp Republic Bank & Trust Company Securian SimpliSafe Starkey Hearing Technologies Symantec Teladoc TrueCar United Airlines Wyndham Hotel Group (in 2012 after Sandy Hook) but reiterated it does not support the NRA
Retained ties
Several companies have been pressured to disaffiliate with the NRA, but have not, or have not issued statements indicating that they will. Bass Pro Shops and subsidiary Cabela's BlackRock, saying that it would speak with weapons manufacturers and distributors, but has not taken any further action yet. Clearent credit card processing Global Rescue HotelPlanner defended its relationship with the NRA Life Line Screening Lloyd's of London Long-Term Care Resources ManageUrID Medical Concierge Network MedFlight Freedom MidwayUSA, saying "no company in America is more dedicated to, and more supportive of, the goals of the National Rifle Association than MidwayUSA" ReliaStar NetSpend Omni Hotels Vinesse Wine Clubs, the official wine club of the NRA Wells Fargo
FedEx
Pressure on FedEx to drop NRA discounts of up to 26 percent had been going on for nearly a year before the Florida shooting. After several companies cut ties with the NRA, calls to boycott FedEx arose on social media under the hashtag #BoycottFedEx. In a statement, FedEx affirmed that while it does not fully agree with the NRA on issues of gun policy, it will continue its business relationship with the organization. Due to a drop in NRA related volume that made the organization ineligible for discounts, the NRA was dropped from the program on October 30, 2018.
Insurance providers
In response to the NRA boycott several companies discontinued insurance products targeted at NRA members. Lockton Companies announced it would no longer sell NRA endorsed policies. Chubb Limited ended its insurance product called NRA Carry Guard which covered gun owners who shot someone and claimed self-defence. MetLife ended discounts for NRA members.