Ford Gay Ads Bring Threat Of Boycott

The American Family Assn. (AFA) claims Ford Motor Co. has reneged on an agreement to halt advertising of some brands in gay publications and is now considering reinstating a boycott of Ford products.

“We had an agreement with Ford, worked out in good faith,” Donald Wildmon, chairman of AFA, says in a statement.

Sources say Ford, in an effort to placate the AFA, previously agreed to pull ads for luxury brands Land Rover and Jaguar, as well as refrain from funding gay events.

Ford representatives subsequently met with several gay groups after a swell of protest from the gay community and, following the meetings, reversed its decision.

Joe Laymon, Ford group vice president-corporate human resources and labor affairs, on Dec. 14 issued a statement saying Ford had “decided to run corporate ads in these targeted publications that will include not only Jaguar/Land Rover but all eight of Ford's vehicle brands.”

Wildmon, in his recent statement, says the option of the boycott “is now very much alive. All we wanted was for Ford to refrain from choosing sides in the cultural war, and supporting groups which promote same-sex marriage is not remaining neutral.”