Ford pulls LR/Jag GLBT support due to American Family threat

[€uroMeinke]

I suppose one tactic is to approach the shareholders through institutional investors. Is the Comapany really being run in a prudent fashion if it is letting social politics dictate it's fiscal policy? I'd say if they take any sort of a finacial hit, you could have a shareholder lawsuit that might reveal some interesting tidbits come discovery time.

[Alex]

Just for the record, I've been informed of the source.

It doesn't change any of the views I've expressed in this thread.

GD, I don't really find it to be a conundrum. The owner of that diner I talked about could be a vocal Nazi and I would still go there for a sandwich. I wouldn't be his friend but I don't care what other people think. Now, if he acts on his rhetoric (refusing to serve Jews, beating blacks out in the parking lot) then I begin to deny my business.

I don't think refusing to target advertising is in that realm. If they has discriminatory pricing for gays or fire gay employees (the reason I am hesitant to eat at Cracker Barrel) then I'll start to care. The CEO of Ford could stand up at the next shareholder meeting and say "we've decided not to advertise in gay magazines because the AFA has convinced us that homosexuality is a sin and while we won't in any way prevent them from buying our cars, we will not be advertising to them directly. We thank the AFA for opening our eyes to this." and I would still feel the same way. I would disagree but not particularly care. (Of course, this is all academic for me since the last Ford of any brand I drove was the 1975 Grand Torino station wagon in which I learned to drive.)

I do feel bad for all the gay people that now have no way of knowing that the Jaguar brand exists.

[wendybeth]

I don't need to wait for Krystlenacht before I speak out against discriminatory practices, or withhold my support (be it financial or simply quiet acceptance) from people who are acting out in a manner that hurts others that they do not think should exist. Lets face it, the AFA and groups like it do not want homosexual people in our society. So, at the risk of invoking Godwin, which Alex has already done for me, I do think that it's necessary to stop such insidious behavior early on. This sort of thing should be illegal, and would be, were gay people afforded the same rights as most people are in this country.

[Alex]

What sort of thing should be illegal?

And I only said "Nazi" because GD did, so if things are Godwined I blame him.

[wendybeth]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

What sort of thing should be illegal?

And I only said "Nazi" because GD did, so if things are Godwined I blame him.

Lol- so, you were sort of a second gen Godwinite?

Discrimination- if a group lobbied against advertising to women because they objected to our existence, you bet your ass there would be lawsuits.

And, we would own them.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

The owner of that diner I talked about could be a vocal Nazi and I would still go there for a sandwich. I wouldn't be his friend but I don't care what other people think. Now, if he acts on his rhetoric (refusing to serve Jews, beating blacks out in the parking lot) then I begin to deny my business.

I'm hoping that you might call the police instead.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

The CEO of Ford could stand up at the next shareholder meeting and say "we've decided not to advertise in gay magazines because the AFA has convinced us that homosexuality is a sin and while we won't in any way prevent them from buying our cars, we will not be advertising to them directly. We thank the AFA for opening our eyes to this." and I would still feel the same way. I would disagree but not particularly care.

I do care. It's where the thinking of this sort of decision leads that makes me very concerned. Ford is the #2 car company in this country. And what if other big corporations follow suit? What if others pull their ads in gay pubs? That doesn't mean gays disappear. But that's what the AFA wants. So what's their next move then? Targeting Ford sponsoring gay events? Targeting Ford's gay employees? I find it imperative to stop the AFA's efforts with their first try at Ford. It worked with Microsoft. The employees there made the difference and Microsoft backed away from a bad decision concerning the gay community. Now that issue has disappeared. That's what I want for this one.

My question to the AFA is how does stopping Ford from advertising in gay publications protect America's families?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Hate speech is protected unless it directly incites violence. A decission to not make specifically targeted advertisement for a segment of the population does not incite violence.

[wendybeth]

If I lobbied against marketing to blacks, are you suggesting I wouldn't have consequences? They (The AFA,etc) are walking a fine line, but their activities certainly bear watching, and sooner or later, they will cross that line. If I were a magazine publication that lost advertising clients to such groups, I would take them to civil court and sue them for damages. Maybe I'd win, maybe not, but they would be exposed.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

If I lobbied against marketing to blacks, are you suggesting I wouldn't have consequences? They (The AFA,etc) are walking a fine line, but their activities certainly bear watching, and sooner or later, they will cross that line. If I were a magazine publication that lost advertising clients to such groups, I would take them to civil court and sue them for damages. Maybe I'd win, maybe not, but they would be exposed.

Perhaps there might be economic consequences for poor marketing decissions, but legal? No, and there shouldn't be. I really don't see a need for a Constitutionally protected right to be advertised at.