If you’ve ever walked through San Francisco’s Castro District or caught a glimpse of the pastel-painted Victorians, you’ve seen the outward expression of California’s pride in its “spirit of tolerance.” As one BBC feature puts it, San Francisco has long embodied “a city of nonconformity,” where costumed parades, free expression, and welcoming acceptance are baked into its character.

Meanwhile, The Golden State under Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom codified its ethos of diversity, equity, and inclusion — values that have become central to the governor’s identity and the state’s brand.

Today, Bed Bath & Beyond’s Executive Chairman Marcus Lemonis announced that the company will refuse to open or operate retail stores in California and not for political reasons, but “because it’s about reality.” He laid out a stark truth:

“California has created one of the most overregulated, expensive, and risky environments for businesses in America… We will not participate in a system that undermines both [customers and shareholders].”

That’s not a partisan talking point, it’s reality.

California’s “Tolerance” is Intolerance in Disguise

What does it say when a state that prides itself on progress drives away employers, jobs, and affordable goods? Lemonis spelled it out: higher taxes, endless regulations, unsustainable costs for employees and customers alike.

California’s political class calls this equity. But it’s really exclusion — punishing ordinary citizens with higher prices and punishing businesses with impossible rules.

This isn’t tolerance. It’s hypocrisy.

The Consequences Are Real

• Jobs lost: When businesses can’t survive in California, workers lose opportunities.
• Prices climb: Regulations and taxes don’t hurt the wealthy, but they certainly hit working families the hardest.
• Community life erodes: When real storefronts are replaced by online-only delivery – nothing builds civic pride like a vibrant local economy.

Lemonis framed it as “common sense,” but in practice, it reveals something much darker: California has become a state that preaches openness while robbing its citizens of vast opportunity and injecting unnecessary burdens into everyday life.

A Wake-Up Call for the Rest of America

This isn’t about supporting one company, but it is about confronting a broader truth: California’s vaunted tolerance is failing. And if its model collapses under the weight of its own policies, why would anyone else emulate it?

The mission of the New Tolerance Campaign is to expose hypocrisy when institutions declare values they don’t uphold. California claims to lead on equity and inclusion, yet its policies are forcefully excluding businesses, burning out minimum wage employees, and dissolving the idea of “the American Dream.”

If California cannot meet its own standards, it doesn’t deserve to set the standard for the rest of our nation.

The Bottom Line

San Francisco may still wear the rainbow crosswalks and celebrate diversity, but behind that imagery is a failing system that no longer delivers. Bed Bath & Beyond is just the latest business to say, “Enough!” California’s “tolerance” has transformed into nothing more than intolerance and that should be disturbing to all of us, no matter which state we call home.

Tags: DEI, Intolerance