Ford agrees to meet with leading gay groups
In the wake of a torrent of negative
publicity stemming from Ford's decision to pull advertising from gay-targeted publications earlier this week, the
automaker has agreed to extend an olive branch. By agreeing to meet with officials from leading national gay
organizations this Monday, the automaker is undoubtedly hoping to assuage critics who savaged their decision to pull
Land Rover and Jaguar marketing with LGBT publications.
For its part, Ford maintains that the decision to pull ad dollars was wholly unrelated to their recent meeting in Dearborn with the conservative American Family Association group. If nothing else, the move was stupendously ill-timed in view of the AFA's post-meeting 'victory' announcement, which scuttled talk of a proposed boycott.
The announcement came from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, which is calling for Ford to recant any agreement between it and the AFA.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
distantbody 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
~Boycotts by the gay community are *DEFENSIVE* boycotts
However:
~Boycotts by religious/conservative groups are *AGRESSIVE* boycotts! (as they
are not in response to any threat, despite what some may disturbingly percieve)
"Saving me from hell"...?
Its *YOUR* hell, *YOU* burn in it!
P.S. Hi Nathan Jones :P
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Brad Twitty 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
This is stupid.
The LGBT need to calm down.
If you'll arent buying Fords why in hell would Ford wast money on advertising to your community? I'm not a member of the LGBT community, but if, say, VW started to only advertise the new Jetta to the LGBT, do you think hetros would flip out? No, we wouldn't care. It is just advertising, it is not like the government is increasing taxes for gays.
Calm Down, please.
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Will 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
Yeah, f#@! off you faggots.
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Ryan 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
Well, that didn't take long to devolve.
AFA member there, Will? Probably on the DL from your wife as well? Wouldn't be surprised...
Brad --- I think you are mising the entire point. Ford wasn't advertising cars to "only" LGBT people, it just was doing some advertising there. And the "heteros" or, if you prefer "Christians" or maybe "Evangelical freakshows" DID freak out. And are the ones who should calm down. And mind their own business for once. But they are more interested in controlling others than dealing with themselves.
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Peter W. 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
*sigh*
It appears Ford is putting a fan in the toilet bowl. I'll make sure to stand back when watching to see who wins TEH GREAT Z3AL0T WAR.
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Opel Lover 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
I agree whole-heartedly with Ryan. There would be no need for this discussion at all if groups like the American Family Association and Focus on the Family would actually focus on doing POSITIVE things like fighting to get legislation for more money for education and educational programs which will help STRENGTHEN families. Instead they choose to spend their time and energy in a NEGATIVE way by attacking a group of people they refuse to try and understand. Gay people will not go away just because these groups think they should. Their time would be better spent by agreeing to disagree and moving on to REAL problems that families are having. Ford has every right to spend their adverstising dollar wherever it wants to, but I will NEVER purchase a Ford-line product again.
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Spear 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
so what would the advertisement for gay people be??
it would prob go like "seats fold down for the best cornholing in any car in its class"
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squog 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
thank u Autoblog for keeping us up-to-date on the important Ford-gay issues
thank you
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Dennis C. McGrath 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
Insanely enough, boys, there are gay men like myself who like cars and read your comments. And, strangely enough, some of them, like myself, have owned, do own and will probably own again one, some or more Ford or Ford corporation vehicles. Why should we take a pill, calm down, basically, why are we supposed to put up with being second-class citizens and shut the f*** up? Because speaking up for our rights is annoying to ... you? Lemme remind all you right-thinkers out there that the AFA don't like plain old fornication any more than they care for sodomy, and that the right to live your life as you see fit without anyone else's religious mania interfering in it is something that, as straight people, you may take for granted ... but you're fools if you do. And, by the way, I'd do it again in the back of a 1966 Ford Country Sedan any time ... yeah, they ARE real good for that. Grow up. Get over it.
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TrollHouseCookie 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
HMMMM, sounds like "WILL" needs a cock to suck.
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the friendly grizzly 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
#7: The way they might advertise to us is: two men seen loading stuff into the back hatch of a FreeStyle. Two women poring over a map spread out on the hood of their Explorer. You know, just like they'd show a nice, generic white mom pop junior sis family in a mainstream publication, or the same family but black in Black Enterprise.
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Randy Stern 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
"You gotta give 'em hope."
-Harvey Milk
Maybe something good will come from this meeting between the NGLTF, HRC and GLBT PACs and Ford.
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Dave M. 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
I'm totally offended, if not by Ford's move, then by their complete lack of vision and sensitivity of the timing. The gays I know have (mostly) tremendous disposible income and (mostly) impeccable taste - EXACTLY who Ford should be targeting with their Jaguar/Volvo/Land Rover ad dollars.
As a Christian (mostly), and a hetero (mostly), I REALLY don't want AFA or any other collection of fanatics representing me. The God I know and love accepts all His children. Love is a much more needed commodity than hate. The AFA needs to try some.
What is it about Ford where they just can't seen to get their shit together? Besides a "better late than never" sorely needed line-up change, they can't find their ass with a map. It's sad, really, because if one of the Big Three was going to entice me to switch from a Japanese car, it would be Ford.
Build a Jag "wagon" with the reliability of a Honda, and I'm in.
/rant off
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LM dealer 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
The gay community is intelligent enough to make a good decision with or with out targeted advertising.
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7 of7 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
The LGBT community does not BUY Ford cars period.
"Maybe I would buy?" "If I were to buy American??" Get real. Hypotheticals are not compelling to Ford in the least. It is real numbers that count.
Gays do not care anything Ford cars. In fact, they scoff at domestics, as not being up to thier tastes. Why should Ford care about your community when you don't care about them.
As homely as those big fat AFA mommas are, they still buy many many more Ford products than gays. Big fat AFA mommas -I mean 2 bills plus.
"Well if I wasn't going to buy a Ford before, I am certainly not going to one buy now! So there." Yak, yak, yak!! Keep on yaking! After all is said, you will still be buying a Jaguar, Volvo, or Land Rover (for the dominant ones).
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LM dealer 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
#15 is full of shit. The gay community does purchase and drive domestic vehicles.
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solomonrex 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
I think this is unfair to the AFA. They're standing up for something they believe in, the LGBT just want ad dollars and are politicizing the issue as a result. Let Ford advertise where they want. If you believe so strongly in freedom, let them do what they want without criticism.
And you ALL are bigots! The AFA isn't evil and neither are gays/lesbians. Christ showed us a better way to act than either group seems capable of.
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Whatever 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
Are they going to meet with the leading heterosexual groups, too? Militant homosexuality is ruining this country
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Ivan Chutu Sokmahdik 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
Mercury's now a fem brand. They could go after the homos w/ the new Brokeback-edition Mountaineer! Ha! I make myself laugh!
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Nathan Jones 12:26AM (12/19/2005)
Well, this fag would be happy to apply some whup ass on any of you boi's that think all of us fags simply bend over and take you're shit....we only do that sorta stuff in the bedroom. (wink-wink)
I've driven alot of domestics in the past...mainly Ford...but a few GM products as well...big Honda fan...and could give a shit about Bimmers and their crowd.
I'm a huge Ford fan...and I have alot of buddies, who are as well.
#17/SolomonRex - You're right...everyone is a bigot in one shape or form...myself included...but I can't help but point out....you say "Let Ford advertise where they want".....yet you've missed (apparently a
big piece of the puzzle).
Ford WAS advertising where they wanted until the AFA decided to apply pressure to Ford to STOP "catering" to we queers.
I'm happy hearing Ford is meeting next week with some LGBT community leaders....it sounds promising....or at least hopeful...and dialouge is always a good thing...until it simply becomes a pissing contest (ie...lies, broad generalizations, etc..etc..)
I've said it before and I'll say it again....I'm happy to see autoblog continues to promote this story and the dialouge that comes with it....
I remember as a kid, my parents would warn me to never discuss politics and religion outside of my immediate family (so we kept our knock down drag outs behind closed doors)...today, it seems we fags are right up there with P & R when it comes to the hot buttons in society...
Seems pretty strange to me that (if you believe the numbers that have been tossed around on this site) that 97% of the population would feel so threatened by the 3% of us that make up Queerdom....you know...our limp wrists and all...we only use our nails to fight.
What ya afraid of? Da Bug?!?!
Oh, and #19.....the "Bareback Edition" would have been much funnier...learn your gay lingo before you try being "hilarious" again.
NJ
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