Everything matters. What you say, what you do, and even what you buy matters. Things aren’t like they used to be, when every store you went to was quiet, family-owned and local. These days, things are run by huge corporations, and it’s easy to look no further than the price tag of that cute shirt in the window. But, that can be a dangerous way to shop because some businesses aren’t always what they seem.

Recently, I started looking at the businesses that I patronized, and there were several instances when I realized that I didn’t like what I found. I came to find that some of my favorite businesses, from clothing stores to juice brands to fast food places, actually stood for a lot more than what I had thought.

All of this started when I read a story online about the owners of Chick-fil-A being very homophobic. I, for one, am a supporter of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage, and I realized that the least I could do to support this cause was to simply avoid eating at Chick-fil-A, no matter how delicious their sandwiches are.

After this revelation, I decided to do a background check on some other businesses that I liked. Most turned out fine, but there were some that really surprised me.

One of the most difficult transitions for me was away from the products of Forever 21. After simply searching the phrase on Google, I found that the corporation was being investigated by the US Department of Labor for using factories with “sweatshop-like conditions.”

Another clothing store that I try to steer clear of is Abercrombie and Fitch (Hollister), but for a much different reason. They may not use sweatshops and they aren’t necessarily homophobic, but this corporation has a more personal impact for some teens. The owner of Abercrombie and Fitch has been quoted saying that “ugly” people shouldn’t be wearing his clothes (and he’s actually serious about it). He once said in an interview that his company would only hire attractive people to work in his stores. I don’t know about everyone else, but I for one do not want to be intimidated by model-status checkout girls when I’m buying a new swimsuit. The very idea behind this clothing brand is to make people feel bad about themselves, bad enough to keep from buying said clothes. That just doesn’t make sense to me.

I know that my not giving my business to these corporations isn’t going to bring them to a grinding halt, but that’s really not the point. I do this because I want to stand for what I believe in, to know that I’m not just a bystander, that I am actually doing something, no matter how small. It can be hard for a girl from small town Iowa to make a difference, but I’ll take any chance I can get.