Ford is pulling out of LGBT publications. Ford spokesman Mike Moran confirmed to Advocate.com that the company will stop advertising its Jaguar and Land Rover brands in gay publications; however, he insisted it was strictly business. (The company’s Web site stated that ‘Ford’s commitment to diversity as an employer and corporate citizen remains unchanged. We have employment policies that are second to none regarding our commitment to inclusion. Any suggestion to the contrary is just plain wrong. Advertising decisions for all our brands are driven strictly by a business case, including Volvo, which has decided to market directly to the gay and lesbian community.’)
The anti-gay American Family Association (AFA) claimed a cultural victory and called off its threatened boycott of the automotive giant. The Dearborn, Mich., automaker came under fire from the AFA in May for its efforts to increase LGBT workplace diversity and support gay-rights causes. Ford has long been a regular advertiser within gay media, including The Advocate, and has donated significant sums to LGBT causes and non-profit groups such as the Human Rights Campaign.
According to a Human Rights Campaign release, a coalition of organizations—including HRC, Family Pride and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network—released a joint statement expressing its dismay with the development. GLAAD has asked people to e-mail Ford Investor Relations (fordir@ford.com) and CEO William Ford (WFord@ford.com), among others.
After hearing a cacophony of criticism, Ford has agreed to meet with national LGBT groups over the company’s decision to pull advertising from the gay media, 365Gay.com reported. The meeting was scheduled to take place Dec. 12, according to Rita Sklar, the spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.