[Gemini Cricket]

Here's an email letter I sent out recently amongst many others...

December 9, 2005


Mr. William Ford
c/o Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, MI 48126


Mr. Ford,

My partner and I are Ford truck owners. We purchased our truck in Tehachapi, California with my partner's father who buys nothing but Ford automobiles and trucks. Before buying our vehicle, my partner and I did extensive research into which motor companies are supportive of gay and lesbian rights in our country. We found that Ford was one of those companies that showed tolerance towards gay and lesbian Americans and decided to purchase our vehicle from your company. We have been pleased with the performance of our truck and have had no problems with it in the 3 years of owning it.

However, a couple of days ago, I was informed by Advocate Magazine and newspapers countrywide that Ford has been in secret meetings with the anti-gay extremist group the American Family Association. The meetings resulted in Ford acquiescing passively to the demands of the AFA and deciding to pull all Jaguar and Land Rover ads from gay publications in 2006. I am stunned that any logical corporate company would cater to the views of an extreme group that does not have the best interests of Ford in mind but also aids in disenfranchising a group of American citizens.

Today, I question our decision of purchasing our Ford truck in the first place. When one spends a formidable amount of money with a company, one hopes that they are not supporting a business that can flip-flop from support to intolerance of gay issues so easily. But it seems as though we have.

The company's official word on the matter is that this was a business decision and had nothing to do with the AFA. However, it seems that the meetings with the AFA and the decision to ban advertising (which supports the publication's existence) are too much of a coincidence to be simply deemed 'good for business'.

Mr. Ford, I am deeply disappointed with your company. I am not angered, nor surprised by this sort of tactic, but I will question my choice of automaker in the future. At this point in time, I can not favorably endorse Ford or its products. I will be speaking with Ford buyers (gay and straight) to inform them of this new development in Ford's business practices. It's a small step to reclaim dignity in making a poor choice in the Ford Motor Company.


With regrets,


Mr. Brad XXXXXXXX

XX XXXXXX XX XX
Somerville, MA 02144-1201
(XXX) XXX-XXX