Hobby Lobby
Flagged · AvoidArts and crafts retail chain whose owners have used corporate profits to impose religious beliefs on employees and fund anti-LGBTQ organizations.
Last updated June 14, 2026
↓ Skip to 4 ethical alternativesReasons to avoid
Issues span:LaborAntitrustHuman Rights
- Hobby Lobby sued the federal government to deny female employees contraception coverage under the ACA. In a 5-4 ruling (Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, 2014), the Supreme Court sided with the company — the first time a for-profit corporation was granted a religious exemption that reduced employee health benefits. Every female justice voted against the decision.
- The Department of Justice fined Hobby Lobby $3 million and forced it to forfeit more than 5,500 ancient Iraqi artifacts — cuneiform tablets, cylinder seals, and clay bullae — smuggled into the US with falsely labeled shipping packages marked as 'ceramic tile samples.' The company had been warned by its own legal expert that the acquisition carried looting risk, but proceeded anyway.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hobby Lobby defied state stay-at-home orders in Colorado, Wisconsin, and Ohio, keeping stores open and telling employees God would protect them. Attorneys general in multiple states issued cease-and-desist letters, and at least one store was forcibly closed by police.
- A foundation linked to Hobby Lobby founder David Green donated $7 million to 'election integrity' groups working to contest the 2024 election results, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. The foundation had also given over $50 million to Alliance Defending Freedom — an anti-LGBTQ organization the Southern Poverty Law Center designates as a hate group — between 2018 and 2020.
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Common Questions
- Is Hobby Lobby ethical?
- Hobby Lobby sued the federal government to deny female employees contraception coverage and won in a 2014 Supreme Court ruling — the first time a for-profit corporation received a religious exemption that reduced employee health benefits. The DOJ fined Hobby Lobby $3 million and forced it to forfeit more than 5,500 ancient Iraqi artifacts smuggled into the U.S. in packages falsely labeled as ceramic tile samples.
- Why are people boycotting Hobby Lobby?
- The most common reasons are Hobby Lobby's use of corporate profits to fund anti-LGBTQIA+ organizations, including over $50 million donated to Alliance Defending Freedom between 2018 and 2020. A foundation linked to founder David Green also donated $7 million to election-contesting groups ahead of the 2024 election.
- What are the best ethical alternatives to Hobby Lobby?
- Blick Art Materials is America's largest art supply retailer with a deep selection of professional-grade materials. Artist and Craftsman Supply is 100% employee-owned. Michaels is the largest arts and crafts chain in North America with no significant political controversies. Local independent craft stores near you keep creative dollars in your community.