Michigan has the distinction of being home to two of the most pro-homosexual corporations in America, and that's a bad thing to be if you ask those nice folks at the American Family Association.
First, a little history: In December 2005 the American Family Association called for a boycott of all Ford Motor Co. products because, the association determined, the automaker advertised in gay-themed publications.
The audacity of the Dearborn-based company. The shame. How could they?
Feeling the pressure, Ford pulled its ads. But following a huge outcry from the gay community, Ford did resume its advertising. Spokespersons said Ford would advertise more of its brands in gay-themed publications.
The AFA — in case you've been fooled by the group's seemingly friendly name — is conservative, anti-abortion, anti-LGBT and pro-family values. Pro-family values, that is, as long as the family involves a female mother, a male father, children who follow a certain take on Christianity. The group blames the entertainment industry for the "glamorization" of pornography, premarital sex and homosexuality.
Recently the AFA called for another boycott of Ford but added nine other companies that have committed the mortal sin of advertising during network television programs — not the salacious cable or satellite stations — considered to "promote the homosexual agenda."
OK, whatever that is. Rights for all families? Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation? We think that's not what the AFA had in mind.
So earlier this year, the association conducted what it calls a "scientific" survey of advertisements in prime time television. Based on the findings, they're asking Americans to boycott the top 10 companies that advertise during shows that have gay characters. These include Ugly Betty (ABC), The Simpsons (FOX), The Office (NBC), and Grey's Anatomy (ABC).
The AFA devised a simple mathematical formula. According to www.afa.net, "For each ad, the parent company of the product advertised was given one point." The company with the highest number of points would be the so-called winner. Local advertising and companies that placed less than 20 ads were not figured into the study.
Guess who was No. 1?
With a total of 57 ads, Ford was crowned the Most Pro-Homosexual Sponsor on Television. Toyota came in second with 42 ads, and AT&T was third with 37. DaimlerChrysler was among the others, along with Procter & Gamble, Revlon, GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, Verizon and Quaker Co.
A response letter from Ford spokesperson Jennifer Moore read, "We will continue to value diversity among all of our constituents and believe in treating all potential customers with respect regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and cultural or physical differences."
Representatives from the AFA did not return phone calls to Metro Times. Shocking.
The whole thing makes us want to pop some Vivarin (GlaxoSmithKline) to stay awake to drive our Ford, Chrysler or Toyota cars, feed our dogs Eukanuba food (Procter & Gamble), drink Gatorade (Quaker), make calls on our AT&T or Verizon phones, spray some Charlie perfume (Revlon) and smear ourselves with Vaseline (Unilever).
Curt Guyette is Metro Times news editor. Contact him at 313-202-8004 or [email protected]
