Ford ad decision angers gay groups
Objavljeno: To dec 06, 2005 5:32 pm
Gay and lesbian advocacy groups sharply criticized Ford Motor Co. for agreeing to stop advertising in gay-themed publications in the face of a boycott by the conservative American Family Association.
The AFA, based in Tupelo, Miss., launched a boycott of Ford in May to protest marketing aimed at gay and lesbian consumers as well as benefits the company extends to same-sex couples. The boycott was suspended for six months in June when Ford and dealer representatives met with the group. With the boycott set to resume last week, Ford dispatched two top company officers -- Ziad Ojakli, group vice president for corporate affairs, and David Leitch, senior vice president and general counsel, and a top dealer to Tupelo to meet with AFA officials last Tuesday.
Ford told the AFA that its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands have not advertised in gay and lesbian publications and will not in the future, said Ford spokesman Mike Moran. Ford's Jaguar and Land Rover brands will no longer target gay consumers through advertising, a move Moran called a "business decision."
Only Volvo, Ford's Sweden-based brand, will continue marketing directly to gays and lesbians. After the meeting, AFA, which has 3 million members, agreed to lift the boycott. That has led some gay and lesbian organizations to say the automaker caved in to pressure from the religious right.
"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 issued Monday.
"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."
The boycott was partly initiated by ads used in Europe that offended some Ford customers.
Ford said that it could have marketed its products in a manner that was just as effective without offending consumers.
Despite the agreement, Ford said it will continue to advertise to select consumer groups, as needed.
"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.
And Ford said its nondiscrimination policies covering employees, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and cultural and physical differences, will not change. Moran would not say whether Ford plans to continue contributing to gay and lesbian organizations and causes, which was another issue that led to AFA to launch the boycott in May.
Jerry Reynolds, an influential Ford dealer in Garland, Texas, who joined company executives in the meeting with AFA officials last week, said many dealers were concerned about the boycott. In the end, he said Ford made the changes because of financial concerns.
"It had a lot more to do with pure business than anything else. They are cutting back everywhere," Reynolds said.
AFA Chairman Donald E. Wildmon said the group ended the boycott after local dealers made the resolution possible. "While we still have a few differences with Ford, we feel that our concerns are being addressed in good faith and will continue to be addressed in the future," he said. "The dealers were very helpful in bridging a gap and opening a line of communication between AFA and Ford. The dealers are basically our kind of people who share many of our concerns."
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The AFA, based in Tupelo, Miss., launched a boycott of Ford in May to protest marketing aimed at gay and lesbian consumers as well as benefits the company extends to same-sex couples. The boycott was suspended for six months in June when Ford and dealer representatives met with the group. With the boycott set to resume last week, Ford dispatched two top company officers -- Ziad Ojakli, group vice president for corporate affairs, and David Leitch, senior vice president and general counsel, and a top dealer to Tupelo to meet with AFA officials last Tuesday.
Ford told the AFA that its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands have not advertised in gay and lesbian publications and will not in the future, said Ford spokesman Mike Moran. Ford's Jaguar and Land Rover brands will no longer target gay consumers through advertising, a move Moran called a "business decision."
Only Volvo, Ford's Sweden-based brand, will continue marketing directly to gays and lesbians. After the meeting, AFA, which has 3 million members, agreed to lift the boycott. That has led some gay and lesbian organizations to say the automaker caved in to pressure from the religious right.
"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 issued Monday.
"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."
The boycott was partly initiated by ads used in Europe that offended some Ford customers.
Ford said that it could have marketed its products in a manner that was just as effective without offending consumers.
Despite the agreement, Ford said it will continue to advertise to select consumer groups, as needed.
"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.
And Ford said its nondiscrimination policies covering employees, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and cultural and physical differences, will not change. Moran would not say whether Ford plans to continue contributing to gay and lesbian organizations and causes, which was another issue that led to AFA to launch the boycott in May.
Jerry Reynolds, an influential Ford dealer in Garland, Texas, who joined company executives in the meeting with AFA officials last week, said many dealers were concerned about the boycott. In the end, he said Ford made the changes because of financial concerns.
"It had a lot more to do with pure business than anything else. They are cutting back everywhere," Reynolds said.
AFA Chairman Donald E. Wildmon said the group ended the boycott after local dealers made the resolution possible. "While we still have a few differences with Ford, we feel that our concerns are being addressed in good faith and will continue to be addressed in the future," he said. "The dealers were very helpful in bridging a gap and opening a line of communication between AFA and Ford. The dealers are basically our kind of people who share many of our concerns."
Jao ta amerika