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Is FORD a gay car?
Ford to remove some ads in gay publications
Automaker denies decision was made under pressure from Christian groups
The Associated Press
Updated: 9:49 a.m. ET Dec. 6, 2005
DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. said on Tuesday that its luxury Jaguar and Land
Rover brands will no longer advertise in gay publications, but denied that
the nation's second largest automaker made the decision under pressure from
conservative Christian groups.
"The decisions with regard to advertising was a business decision," Ford
spokesman Mike Moran said. He said Ford's Volvo brand would continue
advertising in gay publications. Ford hasn't advertised its Ford, Lincoln
and Mercury brands in those publications, Moran added.
Moran said Jaguar and Land Rover, which are part of Ford's money-losing
Premier Automotive Group, have decided to cut back on their advertising
everywhere because of difficult market conditions. The Premier Automotive
Group reported a pretax loss of $108 million in the third quarter.
"They feel pressure on their marketing budgets, so they decided to
streamline marketing across the board," Moran said. "They're not supporting
as many publications and events as before in 2006."
Moran refused to say how much Ford has spent advertising in gay publications
such as The Advocate, a biweekly magazine. Mercedes-Benz was advertising on
the Advocate's Web site on Tuesday.
Ford's move came nearly a week after the Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family
Association canceled a boycott of Ford vehicles that began in May, when the
group criticized Ford for being too gay-friendly.
"We are ending the boycott of Ford," association Chairman Donald Wildmon
said in a statement Wednesday on the group's Web site. "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."
The American Family Association first announced the boycott against Ford and
related brands on May 31. The group said Ford gave thousands of dollars to
gay rights groups, offered benefits to same-sex couples and actively
recruited gay employees.
After a spring meeting with a group of Ford dealers, the association said in
June that it was suspending its boycott until at least the beginning of
December.
The Human Rights Campaign, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and
other gay rights groups expressed concern about reports there was a secret
deal between Ford and the American Family Association to end Ford's
advertising in gay media.
"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 (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender)
representatives this week to resolve these concerns," the groups said in the
statement, which was posted Monday on the Human Rights Campaign Web site.
Moran said the decision was not linked to the boycott.
"We have no confidential agreement with the AFA," he said.
Moran said Ford made it clear at meetings with the American Family
Association that the company would continue its policies recognizing the
rights of its gay employees.
Ford is proud of its nondiscrimination policies, Moran said. "Those policies
will not change," he said.
In May, the American Family Association ended a nine-year boycott of The
Walt Disney Co. over Disney's decision to extend benefits to same-sex
couples and promote gay-related events at its theme parks. The boycott
appeared to have little effect, since Disney reported higher earnings and
increased theme park attendance during that time.
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