Right Back Where It Belongs
Ford does indeed have a better idea. After at first giving into the threats of the American Family Association, Ford Motor Company’s heart has returned to the right place – or rather to where a stockpile of disposable income resides. Ride that Mustang!
Gay Ads Back On Track For Ford
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
(Washington)
Ford Motor Company on Wednesday agreed to almost all demands from LGBT groups following a hastily organized meeting earlier this week with the company over a claim by the American Family Association that the company had made a pact with it to end support of the LGBT community. The AFA said it was ending a threatened boycott of Ford after the company agreed to pull advertising from the gay media and to stop funding LGBT organizations.
On Monday Ford met with LGBT leaders in a Washington hotel to hear their concerns about the AFA statement. In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Ford said that it would feature all of its brands in a 2006 ad campaign in LGBT publications. Previously Ford was advertising only its Land Rover and Jaguar brands in the gay press.
"It is my hope that this will remove any ambiguity about Ford's desire to advertise to all important audiences and put this particular issue behind us," said the letter signed by Ford V.P. Joe W. Laymon.
The buying power of the LGBT community is estimated at $610 billion a year.
Without specifically mentioning the AFA by name, the company statement reaffirmed its commitment to its progressive workplace policies. But despite a demand from LGBT leadership that Ford commit to maintaining its funding of gay rights groups the company was less definite.
"You asked directly whether Ford Motor Company will continue to support non-profit groups and events in the GLBT community. While we still support certain events, I know you understand that the business situation will limit the extent of our support in all communities in 2006," Laymon's letter said.
Nevertheless, LGBT groups said they were encouraged by the general tone of the letter.“We welcome today’s statement from Ford Motor Company and commend their firm stance in support of inclusion," the 19 LGBT civil rights groups said in a joint statement.
"It is an unequivocal reaffirmation of Ford’s historic commitment to our community and the core American values of fairness and equality. Moreover, it is conclusive proof of what Ford leaders have repeatedly assured us -- that there never was any deal with anti-LGBT organizations concerning Ford’s support for our community.
The AFA has not commented on the Ford commitment to the gay community.
“We applaud Ford Motor for taking such a firm stand on behalf of our community — pledging to continue support for our community’s organizations and events, and increasing — not decreasing — its advertising in our community’s publications to include all Ford brands," said Matt Foreman, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "This is a very positive, welcome outcome."
“Ford’s action is a positive outcome and win for equality and fairness,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Ford has sent a powerful signal that corporate America values its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees and consumers."
The AFA has a long history of using boycotts to try to force companies to adhere to a strict conservative view, but with mixed success.
It boycotted Proctor and Gamble last year after the Cincinnati-based P&G supported the repeal of an anti-gay law in that city.
In April AFA declared victory over Proctor & Gamble after the company ended most of its advertising in the gay media. 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. 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.
In May, the AFA took aim at Kraft Foods - stopping just short of calling for a full boycott - for sponsoring the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago. Kraft has not budged in its support for the games.
Earlier this month 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.
©365Gay.com 2005
The so-called right in this country seems to be enamoured with the idea of war. Be it Iraq, Culture or Xmas. Onward Christian Solders indeed! But Blessed are the Peacemakers. From the AFA website:
AFA considering boycott of Ford Motor Company
(Tupelo, MS) - The American Family Association says that Ford Motor Company reneged on some agreements reached in discussions with the automobile giant, and the organization is considering its next move.
“We had an agreement with Ford, worked out in good faith. Unfortunately, some Ford Motor Company officials made the decision to violate the good faith agreement. We are now considering our response to the violation and expect to reach a decision very soon,” said Donald E. Wildmon, chairman of AFA.
AFA had called for a boycott of Ford last spring because of Ford’s support for the homosexual agenda and homosexual marriage but suspended the boycott for six months at the request of a group of Ford dealers. Wildmon said AFA and Ford officials hammered out an agreement in the interim that was accepted by both parties.
“All we wanted was for Ford to refrain from choosing sides in the cultural war, and supporting groups which promote same-sex marriage is not remaining neutral,” Wildmon stated.
He stated that because Ford broke the agreement, the option of a boycott is now very much alive.
Wonder where Toby Keith comes down on this issue?
Comments
Following Ford's announcement a week ago that it would end all advertising in the gay media the conservative American Family Association declared victory and said it would end a threatened boycott of the automaker.
The announcements sparked demands by gay groups for an immediate meeting with the company and on Wednesday Ford reversed course saying it would continue its ads.
But the decision may not have been the result of pressure from gay groups, but rather from at least two large institutional shareholders who supports LGBT issues.
One of them was the New York State Local Retirement System - the biggest state pension plan in the country.
Its administrator, New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi confirmed Friday that he contacted Ford Chair William Clay Ford Jr. to voice his displeasure that the company had appeared to cave-in to demands from the AFA.
In a letter to Ford, Hevesi said he wanted the know the reasons behind the decision.
"I am interested to know what cost/benefit analysis you performed in order to reach the conclusion that ending advertising to that particular customer base would be a positive strategic move for the company," Hevesi wrote in his letter to the chair.
Hevesi not only pointed out the importance of diversity, but the importance of being seen as unbiased. He also noted that the LGBT market is worth an estimated $610 billion annually.
Hevesi is the sole trustee of the retirement fund which controls about 9.4 million shares of Ford stock valued about $107 million.
Ford, which this year teetered on economic disaster was concerned that its position could be weakened by shareholder dissent sources within the company said.
The company officially maintains the intervention of Hevesi and other shareholder groups played no part in the final decision to maintain its LGBT ads and made no mention of the groups in its statement to gay rights groups.
"It is my hope that this will remove any ambiguity about Ford's desire to advertise to all important audiences and put this particular issue behind us," said Ford V.P. Joe W. Laymon in the company statement on Wednesday (story)
Hevesi has been a longtime gay supporter.
Before becoming state comptroller he occupied a similar position in New York City, where he used the clout of the city pension fund shares in ExxonMobil to muster support for including sexual orientation to the ExonMobil non-discrimination policy.
While pressuring Exxon has so far been unsuccessful, the issue keeps coming up at shareholder meetings and support has been growing annually.
Hevesi in 2004 used his position as state comptroller to order the NY pension plans to treat the marriages of gay and lesbian workers who married in Canada in the same way as heterosexual marriages. It was the first time that married gay and lesbian couples in New York have been recognized by a state agency.
He is only one of two statewide elected officials who support same-sex marriage. The other is Attorney General Elliot Spitzer.
Meanwhile, the AFA says it is considering reinstating its boycott of Ford. (story)
©365Gay.com 2005
As presenting sponsor, Ford will have an integral role in the concert series, helping dramatically open performances in all markets with a special effects mini motion picture featuring Keith and an F-Series Super Duty. F-Series trucks also will appear onstage alongside the artist.
“We’ve made a tremendous impression working with ‘Ford Truck Man’ Toby Keith during the last two tours, and this tour promises to be even more exciting,” said Mary Lou Quesnell, Ford Division marketing communications manager.
Ford enters its third straight year sponsoring Keith in concert following Super Duty’s powerful presence during the wildly successful “Big Throwdown Tour” last year and the introduction of a one-of-a-kind “transforming” F-150 in the “Shock N’Y’All Tour” in 2003. Tour sponsorship integration is the product of creative collaboration between Keith and Ford.
Special guests Lee Ann Womack and Shooter Jennings will support Keith as the tour’s opening acts. (Concert dates and locations are attached.)
“I'm honored for Ford to be my partner on this tour,” said Keith. “Ford backs me 100 percent and it’s great to be back on the road with them.”