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Over the Rainbow: - Wrestling With Angels

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within <strong>the</strong> company. The 2007 Out and Equal conference had included an organized march<br />

into congressional offices demanding <strong>the</strong> legalization of same-sex marriage (AFA, Oct, 2008).<br />

BACKLASH To Corporate Sponsorship of <strong>the</strong> Gay Agenda<br />

Opponents to <strong>the</strong> normalization of gay and lesbian rights in society organized boycotts<br />

against companies that offered domestic partner benefits and nondiscrimination policies. In<br />

1997 <strong>the</strong> Sou<strong>the</strong>rn Baptist Convention launched a boycott against Disney for sponsoring “Gay<br />

Day” in <strong>the</strong>me parks in Orlando and Anaheim, CA. They were not successful in persuading<br />

Disney to alter <strong>the</strong>ir pro-gay policies (Johansson, 2004).<br />

The American Family Association (AFA), “a Christian organization promoting <strong>the</strong> Biblical<br />

ethic of decency in American society with emphasis on moral issues that impact families “<br />

responded with boycotts when Pepsico and McDonald’s became publicly and actively involved<br />

in pro-gay policies.<br />

When corporate decisions at McDonald’s promoted <strong>the</strong> gay agenda, AFA Chairman Don<br />

Wildmon said, “This boycott isn’t about hiring homosexuals, or homosexuals eating at<br />

McDonald’s or how homosexual employees are treated. It is about McDonald’s, as a<br />

corporation, refusing to remain neutral in <strong>the</strong> culture war. The company has chosen not to<br />

remain neutral but to give <strong>the</strong> full weight of its corporation to promoting <strong>the</strong> homosexual<br />

agenda, including homosexual marriage.” Wildmon urged AFA supporters to “sign, print and<br />

distribute a Boycott McDonald’s petition and call <strong>the</strong> local McDonald’s to politely tell <strong>the</strong><br />

manager <strong>the</strong>y are boycotting <strong>the</strong> chain until it stops promoting <strong>the</strong> gay agenda.” Wildmon said<br />

“The homosexual movement is controversial, and we’re simply asking that McDonald’s remain<br />

neutral” (AFA, Aug, 2008; AFA, Oct, 2008). In October of 2008 AFA announced that <strong>the</strong> boycott of<br />

McDonalds had ended because McDonald’s had told <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong>y will remain neutral in <strong>the</strong><br />

culture war regarding homosexual marriage ( AFA, Oct 9, 2008).<br />

When AFA asked PepsiCo to remain neutral in <strong>the</strong> culture war, <strong>the</strong> company refused –<br />

choosing to support <strong>the</strong> homosexual activists, making no effort to hide <strong>the</strong>ir support. In <strong>the</strong> fall<br />

of 2008 AFA called for a boycott of all PepsiCo’s products, including Pepsi, Gatorade, Mountain<br />

Dew, Frito Lay chips, and Quaker Oats. On <strong>the</strong>ir website, www.boycottpepsico.com, AFA listed<br />

<strong>the</strong> following reasons for calling a boycott.<br />

* PepsiCo: made large donations to PFLAG and <strong>the</strong> Human Rights Campaign;<br />

* requires employees to attend diversity training where <strong>the</strong>y are taught to accept<br />

homosexuality;<br />

<strong>Over</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Rainbow</strong>: The Gay Battle for Social Reorganization of America. 2010<br />

Dr. M. L. Coppock<br />

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