The American Family Association -- a group led by Tim Wildmon that opposes same-sex marriages -- has called for a boycott of McDonald's because it says the chain has not stayed neutral in "the
cultural war over homosexuality." In March, the association ended a two-year boycott of Ford after the automaker largely stopped advertising in the gay media. The association also has boycotted Target
for substituting "holiday" for "Christmas" in its advertising and Walt Disney for its "embrace of the homosexual lifestyle."
McDonald's joined the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of
Commerce several months ago and placed an executive on the group's board of directors, in addition to donating to the chamber. The association asked McDonald's to remove itself from the chamber, but
the burger-maker declined, leading to the boycott. "Hatred has no place in our culture," McDonald's USA spokesman Bill Whitman says. "We stand by and support our people to live and work in a society
free of discrimination and harassment."
Corporations increasingly are courting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender markets for their buying power and trendsetting value. This
translates into corporate sponsorships of events, such as gay pride festivals, and ads targeted at non-heterosexual consumers.
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