Ford can't please anybody
CNN
December 6, 2005
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Ford Motor Co. faced sharp criticism from gay and
lesbian advocacy groups for agreeing to stop advertising in gay-themed
publications in the face of a boycott by the conservative American Family
Association, according to a report Tuesday.
The AFA launched a boycott of Ford (Research) in May to protest marketing
aimed at gay and lesbian consumers, the Detroit News said. The automaker
responded by promising that most of its brands, with the exception of
Sweden-based Volvo, will no longer target gay consumers through
advertising.
After Ford's concession, gay and lesbian organizations argued that the
automaker caved in to pressure from the religious right, the paper said.
"We are deeply dismayed that Ford has entered into a confidential agreement
with the extremist American Family Association that requires Ford to stop
advertising in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media," a group of 17 gay
and lesbian organizations said in a joint statement, according to the
paper.
"If there is an agreement with AFA, we expect Ford to disavow it. We expect
Ford to publicly reaffirm its historic support for our community. And, we
expect Ford to meet with LGBT representatives this week to resolve these
concerns."
Ford said that it could market its products in a manner that was just as
effective without offending consumers, according to the report.
"We reserve the right to advertise our brands and products wherever we think
it makes business sense," Ojakli and Leitch wrote in a letter Monday to Suzanne
Wait, head of Ford's gay and lesbian employee group, according to the
paper.
Ford said its nondiscrimination policies covering employees, regardless of
race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and cultural and physical
differences, will not change.
|