Ford Agrees To Meet Gay Leaders
By: Doug Windsor, 365Gay.com New York Bureau
Posted: December 10, 2005 11:00 am ET
(New York City) Facing a maelstrom of criticism over allegations it caved in to conservative Christians, Ford Motor Company has agreed to meet with national LGBT groups over the company's decision to pull advertising from the gay media.
The meeting will take place on Monday, Rita Sklar, the spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, told 365Gay.com.
Following Ford's announcement that it was dropping ads in the gay media for its Land Rover and Jaguar lines the American Family Association declared victory and said it was ending its threatened boycott.
The AFA said the Ford decision was made following a meeting between it and the company at Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. (story)
Ford claims that the decision to cut back on advertising and the AFA meeting were not related but the company did not dispute the conservative group's interpretation of the meeting.
The company also says it remains committed to diversity in the workplace.
The disparity between the AFA and Ford over the real reason for the advertising decision and the timing of the announcements by the two led 19 LGBT civil rights groups to demand an immediate meeting with Ford.
"If there is an agreement with AFA, we expect Ford to disavow it," the groups said in a joint statement.
Five days later, and after a hail of bad press - both in the mainstream and the gay media - Ford agreed to meet.
Earlier this year the AFA took aim at Kraft Foods - stopping just short of calling for a full boycott - for sponsoring the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago. (story) Kraft has not budged in its support for the games.
The AFA boycotted Proctor and Gamble last year after the Cincinnati-based P&G supported the repeal of an anti-gay law in that city. (story)
In April AFA declared victory over Proctor & Gamble after the company ended most of its advertising in the gay media. (story) The group claimed that more than 300,000 people had signed pledges not to buy P&G products.
The effect on P&G is believed to be one of the major reasons Microsoft decided to withdraw its support of a gay rights bill in the state of Washington following a meeting with a conservative Christian leader. (story) Following outrage from the company's gay workers and LGBT rights groups in Washington the company reversed course again and announced it would support gay rights measures in the future. (story)
Last weekend another Conservative Christian group, Focus on the Family, announced it was withdrawing its funds from Wells Fargo because of the banks involvement in pro-gay causes. (story)
On Wednesday the two top ranking politicians in West Hollywood released a letter to Ford Motor Co. Chair William Ford blasting the company's decision to end its LGBT advertising. (story)
"By bending to the will of an organization like the AFA, the Ford Motor Company has aligned itself with a group that uses fear and promotes bigotry," the letter from Mayor Abbe Land and Mayor Pro Tem John Heilman said.
Hornburg Jaguar and Land Rover a Ford dealer in West Hollywood.
The Commercial Closet Association, which educates marketers and ad agencies about the LGBT community, said boycotts against companies that support gays have had little effect.
"Boycott threats by anti-gay groups have proven over the years to have no measurable or adverse sales impact on targeted companies, including years-long efforts against American Airlines and Disney. As it has always been, success in the marketplace is dictated by the effectiveness of marketing strategies -- not approval from bigoted organizations," said Michael Wilke, the executive director of the Commercial Closet in a statement Friday.
(C) 2005 365GAY.COM
Posted: December 10, 2005 11:00 am ET
(New York City) Facing a maelstrom of criticism over allegations it caved in to conservative Christians, Ford Motor Company has agreed to meet with national LGBT groups over the company's decision to pull advertising from the gay media.
The meeting will take place on Monday, Rita Sklar, the spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, told 365Gay.com.
Following Ford's announcement that it was dropping ads in the gay media for its Land Rover and Jaguar lines the American Family Association declared victory and said it was ending its threatened boycott.
The AFA said the Ford decision was made following a meeting between it and the company at Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. (story)
Ford claims that the decision to cut back on advertising and the AFA meeting were not related but the company did not dispute the conservative group's interpretation of the meeting.
The company also says it remains committed to diversity in the workplace.
The disparity between the AFA and Ford over the real reason for the advertising decision and the timing of the announcements by the two led 19 LGBT civil rights groups to demand an immediate meeting with Ford.
"If there is an agreement with AFA, we expect Ford to disavow it," the groups said in a joint statement.
Five days later, and after a hail of bad press - both in the mainstream and the gay media - Ford agreed to meet.
Earlier this year the AFA took aim at Kraft Foods - stopping just short of calling for a full boycott - for sponsoring the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago. (story) Kraft has not budged in its support for the games.
The AFA boycotted Proctor and Gamble last year after the Cincinnati-based P&G supported the repeal of an anti-gay law in that city. (story)
In April AFA declared victory over Proctor & Gamble after the company ended most of its advertising in the gay media. (story) The group claimed that more than 300,000 people had signed pledges not to buy P&G products.
The effect on P&G is believed to be one of the major reasons Microsoft decided to withdraw its support of a gay rights bill in the state of Washington following a meeting with a conservative Christian leader. (story) Following outrage from the company's gay workers and LGBT rights groups in Washington the company reversed course again and announced it would support gay rights measures in the future. (story)
Last weekend another Conservative Christian group, Focus on the Family, announced it was withdrawing its funds from Wells Fargo because of the banks involvement in pro-gay causes. (story)
On Wednesday the two top ranking politicians in West Hollywood released a letter to Ford Motor Co. Chair William Ford blasting the company's decision to end its LGBT advertising. (story)
"By bending to the will of an organization like the AFA, the Ford Motor Company has aligned itself with a group that uses fear and promotes bigotry," the letter from Mayor Abbe Land and Mayor Pro Tem John Heilman said.
Hornburg Jaguar and Land Rover a Ford dealer in West Hollywood.
The Commercial Closet Association, which educates marketers and ad agencies about the LGBT community, said boycotts against companies that support gays have had little effect.
"Boycott threats by anti-gay groups have proven over the years to have no measurable or adverse sales impact on targeted companies, including years-long efforts against American Airlines and Disney. As it has always been, success in the marketplace is dictated by the effectiveness of marketing strategies -- not approval from bigoted organizations," said Michael Wilke, the executive director of the Commercial Closet in a statement Friday.
(C) 2005 365GAY.COM
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