San Diego businessmen have donated more than $360,000 to the effort to qualify a November ballot measure banning same-sex marriage.

Community members and activists are angry – and rightfully so. Three of the listed contributors own high-profile local businesses.

A story in Saturday’s San Diego Union-Tribune reported Mission Valley developer Terry Caster, owner of A1 Self Storage, and developer Douglas Manchester, owner of the Manchester Grand Hyatt and the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina, as two of the largest local contributors.

Caster donated $162,500, and Manchester donated $125,000 to the campaign for the initiative, which would amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

The story also noted a $50,000 contribution from La Jolla businessman Robert Benson, and a $25,000 donation from Robert Hoehn, owner of Hoehn Motors in Carlsbad.

In light of the news, some community members have called for a formal boycott of the Manchester Grand Hyatt, the San Diego Marriot Hotel and Marina, A1 Self Storage and Hoehn Motors.

Though it’s wise to stay informed of who is contributing to the campaign to ban same-sex marriage, we need to prioritize.

With approximately 30 days before the deadline for Protectmarriage.com to submit its 700,000 signatures to qualify the initiative, we are at a critical point in the battle.

It is key we not divert our attention or our resources from defeating the initiative.

Delores A. Jacobs, CEO of The San Diego LGBT Community Center, makes a good point in our lead news story this week.

Jacobs noted that the resources – the time, effort and money – used to launch a formal boycott could, instead, be funneled into stopping the initiative from qualifying for the November ballot.

Without launching a large-scale, formal boycott – which would, indeed, require time, money and energy that could be used to battle the initiative – we’re encouraging readers to make conscious consumer choices.

Talk with friends, family members and colleagues and ask them to support businesses that support our community. Likewise, ask them to stop supporting businesses that contribute to the campaign to ban same-sex marriage.

In fact, take a short amount of time to let business owners know how their contributions affect their customers – after all, they are using your dollars against you.

Hoehn was inundated with phone calls and letters from frustrated, angry and hurt customers – some who were loyal buyers at his luxury dealerships – stunned he would support the same-sex marriage ban.

The calls and letters have resonated with Hoehn, who says he simply wants to protect faith-based institutions from legal recourse in the event they refuse to recognize or officiate same-sex marriages.

This has been, though, a learning experience, Hoehn says.

Regardless whether Manchester, Hoehn, Caster and Benson continue to support organizations that attempt to deny every Californian equal rights, it’s important we continue to send a powerful message their way.

Phone calls and letters directed to them will illustrate the severity of their actions and the widespread impact their contributions have on our community.

A number of readers wrote in saying they planned to move their belongings out of A1 Self Storage and into competing facilities; some said they planned to discourage friends and family members who visit San Diego from staying at the Manchester–owned properties; and others said they won’t purchase their next vehicle at any one of Hoehn Motors dealerships.

With little more than a month to defeat the initiative, we also encourage readers to get involved with The Center’s volunteer opportunities or with the Equality for All campaign. For more information on The Center’s volunteer needs, call 619-692-2077 ext. 206. For more information on Equality for All, e-mail info@equalityforall.com.