Reply #26: Ford ad decision angers gay groups

[Thom Little]

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."

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"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."



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