In the 1970's and 80's, with the encouragement of the women's movement, universities focused on career development over family formation, even for women. Women were being told to be independent, prepare for a profession or go into business so they could take charge of their own lives.
Corporations and businesses recognized that singles without family ties were able to dedicate time and energy to their jobs and were free to travel around the country. The Advocate,which had covered the gay market since 1967, featured a 'how to' guide for the gay traveler in the 1990's. Noting that an estimated $17 billion annually was spent by gay men and lesbians in business related travel, they published a list of travel companies that were 'exceptional' or 'gay friendly'. Included were American, Northwest, Continental and Lufthsa Airlines; Avis, National and Alamo Car Rentals; and Hyatt Hotels. 1.
Out of the Corporate Closet
While some gay men and lesbians were fortunate to be in business for themselves or to work in gay organizations, those working in the business world often found it difficult, having to avoid conversations about their private lives when others talked about their families. Having to hide in the closet during working hours sapped energy and creativity. Kirk Synder, author of Lavender Road to Success: The Career Guide for the Gay Community, contended that "an open work environment leads to happier employees and therefore higher productivity." He found that workers who hide their sexuality at work make less money and are less productive than openly gay people." 2.
Corporate Non-discrimination Policies
Employee associations and unions developed in corporate America to lobby for gay employee's rights and domestic partner benefits. In the 1980's corporations began to include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies. 3.
By 1995, more than 60 American companies had lesbian, gay and bisexual employee groups; half of the Fortune 1000 companies had nondiscrimination policies that included sexual orientation; and over 45% of lesbian and gay men had been promoted at work. 4.
'Best' and 'Worst' companies
Cracking the Corporate Closet is a gay and lesbian guidebook that publishes "the 'best' and 'worst' companies to work for, buy from, and invest in". They use three criteria to make assessments on how 'gay friendly' a company in:
1. sexual orientation included in the company's anti-discrimination policy,
2. domestic partnership benefits offered to its employees, and
3. 'corporate behavior' determined through press reports and interviews conducted with present and former employees.
Their research showed that the key factor in effecting change within a corporation was found to be an active and vocal gay and lesbian employeee group within the corporation. These pressure groups began as informal social networks and then announced their existence publicly, soliciting members and advocating for improved work environments. 5.
In 1995, Cracking the Corporate Closet's list of 'best' companies for gay and lesbian employees included: Apple Computer, Ben & Jerry's, Boston Globe, Charles Schwab, Fannie Mae, Levi Strauss & Co., Lotus, Pacific Gas and Electric and Quark. Quark was founded and developed by Tim Gill, who formed the Gill Foundation and invested millions of dollars to seed gay-rights organizations in all 50 states and provide financial support for gay political campaigns.
Companies that did not include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policies in 1995 included Hilton, Corning, Home Depot, Marriott, Motorola, Burger King, The Gap and Pepsico. 6.
Pepsico and McDonald's Support the Gay Agenda
By September of 2008, Pepsico had reversed its position on gay rights by donating $500,000 to Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).
PFLAG actively supports the legalization of same-sex marriage and worked to defeat Proposition 8, the ballot initiative which restored traditional marriage in California. The homosexual website, Advocate.com , said that the Pepsico gift was earmarked to help straight allies to "transform people's attitudes and perceptions of gay individuals and the gay community...and effect real and lasting change" in society. Pepsico also gave $500,000 to the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest homosexual activist organization and was a prominent supporter of the 35th Annual Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade in New York City with it's own corporate float. 7.
The family friendly fast food chain, McDonald's, also took a public stand to support the homosexual agenda. In early 2008, Richard Ellis, McDonald's vice president of communications, accepted a seat on the board of directors of the National Gay and Lesian Chamber of Commerce. In September of 2008, McDonald's helped to sponsor the annual Out and Equal Workplace Summit which trains employees on how to aggressively promote homosexuality within the company. The 2007 Out and Equal conference had included an organized march into Congressional offices demanding the legalization of same-sex marriage.8.
BACKLASH BY OPPOSING INTERESTS
The American Family Association (AFA) responded with boycotts when Pepsico and McDonald's became publicly and actively involved in pro-gay policies. When corporate decisions at McDonald's promoted the gay agenda, AFA Chairman Don Wildmon said, "This boycott isn't about hiring homosexuals, or homosexuals eating at McDonald's, or how homosexual employees are treated. It is about McDonald's, as a corporation, refusing to remain neutral in the culture war. The company has chosen not to remain neutral but to give the full weight of its corporation to promoting the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage." Wildmon urged AFA supporters to "sign, print and distribute a 'Boycott McDonald's' petition at www.boycottmcdonalds.com; and to call the local McDonald's to politely tell the manager they are boycotting the chain until it stops promoting the gay agenda." Wildmon said "The homosexual movement is controversial, and we're simply asking that McDonald's remain neutral." 9.
In October of 2008 AFA announced that the boycott of McDonald's had ended because McDonald's had told them they would remain neutral in the culture war regarding homosexual marriage.
When AFA asked PepsiCo to remain neutral in the culture war, the company refused - choosing to support the homosexual activists and making no effort to hide their support. In the fall of 2008, AFA called for a boycott of all PepsiCo's products, including Pepsi, Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Frito Lay Chips, and Quaker Oats. On it's website, www.boycottpepsico.com, AFA listed the following reasons for calling a boycott. PepsiCo: made large donations to PFLAG and the Human Rights Campaign; requires employees to attend diversity training where they are taught to accept homosexuality; sponsored the TV show Family Guy which pushes the homosexual agenda and denigrates Jesus; supports homosexual publications which feature page after page of nude and semi-nude men in suggestive positions; sponsors 'gay pride' parades across America; and refuses to help those trapped in this destructive lifestyle. In early 2010 the boycott against PepsiCo continued. 10.
REFERENCES
1.The Gay Almanac.Compiled by the National Museum & Archieve of Lesbian and Gay History. NY: Philip Lief Group, Inc.1996:15,156.
2. Johansson, Catrine. "Respect for gays found productive." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Sunday, June 27, 2004:1R.
3. Ibid.
4. The Gay Almanac. 1996:101,153.
5. Ibid: 157-159.
6. Ibid:
7. American Family Association Journal. "AFA calls for boycott of McDonald's" Vol.32, No. 8. August 2008:3.
8. American Family Association Journal. "McDonald's sponsors summit promoting the gay agenda." Vol. 32, No. 10. Oct. 2008:3.
9. Ibid.
10. American Family Association Journal. "AFA, 2009, launches boycott of PepsiCo." Vol. 33, No. 1, Jan. 2009:3
AFA boycott. "Reasons for the boycott". http://www.boycottpepsico.com. 2/8/2010.
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