Is McDonald’s Funding a "naked homosex-fest"?
July 30, 2008 by Sean Kelly
Filed under Business
(FranchisePick.Com) According to this report(McDonald’s profits help fund naked homosex-fest) on WorldNetDaily.com, the American Family Association (AFA) is “ramping up the pressure on McDonald’s for its decision to fully promote the homosexual lifestyle and condemn people who object on moral and religious grounds as haters.”
In a new alert to its millions of supporters, the AFA confirmed McDonald’s was a sponsor of the 2007 San Francisco “Gay” Pride parade with a television commercial.
“In the ad, a McDonald’s official (Darwin Choy) brags that it is ‘a company that actively demonstrates its commitment to the gay and lesbian community,’” the AFA said….The parade itself was broadcast on San Francisco Channel KORN-TV, and the AFA has posted photographs documenting the explicit nudity.
According to WND, “The issue erupted after McDonald’s paid $20,000 and installed one of its executives on the board of the National “Gay” and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.”
The AFA now is asking consumers to sign a boycott petition and contact their local restaurant managers to raise objections over the company’s activism.
Meanwhile, efforts by a local California organization to stage picketing in front of McDonald’s restaurants until their managers agree to forward the group’s concerns to the corporation headquarters are expanding.
Officials with SaveBiblicalMarriage.org have been staging protests in California and so far have obtained commitments from three of the five franchise owners/managers they’ve approached to forward their objections to the corporate office.
“We have gotten good responses from some other Christians about spreading the boycott-picketing of McDonald’s elsewhere,” spokesman Yuriy Popko told WND.
The AFA is seeking to force McDonald’s to stop promoting “the homosexual lifestyle” through its website BoycottMcDonalds.com. The Boycott McDonald’s action alert clarifies what its actions are NOT about:
What the boycott of McDonald’s IS NOT about
- This boycott is not about hiring homosexuals.
- It is not about homosexuals eating at McDonald’s.
- It is not about how homosexual employees are treated.
What the boycott of McDonald’s IS about
It is about McDonald’s, as a corporation, refusing to remain neutral in the culture wars. McDonald’s has chosen not to remain neutral but to give the full weight of their corporation to promoting the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
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what an interesting world we live in Sean.
this mac stuff harks back to the middle ages.
You may want to make another turn at http://www.wisequeen.com now we have our launch notice and forthcomming attractions up. thanks for visitng by the way, I’m still getting my mail to you returned from ideafarm. Have 4 techcrunch interviews for you.
D
But if McDonald’s gave $20K to AFA, and took a seat on their Board, to help promote AFA’s brand of hate and bigotry that would be OK, right?
Hate & Bigotry?
Miki, are you sure you’ve got the right AFA?
Their website states The American Family Association represents and stands for traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media – including pornography – on our society.
That doesn’t sound bad (except maybe the pornography part. I guess they’re not down for the Porno Pizza or Adam & Eve franchises).
Their website expressly states that they don’t hate homosexuals: Does AFA Hate Homosexuals?
Absolutely Not! The same Holy Bible that calls us to reject sin, calls us to love our neighbor. It is that love that motivates us to expose the misrepresentation of the radical homosexual agenda and stop its spread though our culture. AFA has sponsored several events reaching out to homosexuals and letting them know there is love and healing at the Cross of Christ.
They are “reaching out” to homosexuals. Sure, they’re wearing latex gloves, but they’re still reaching out.
Are you implying that Leadership Turn is NOT remaining neutral in the culture wars?
Damn right I’m not neutral:) And you’re right, AFA doesn’t hate homosexuals—so long as they turn into straight Christians.
Hola everybody…
“McDonald’s has chosen not to remain neutral but to give the full weight of their corporation to promoting the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage.” (emphasis mine)
Full weight of their corporation huh?
Let’s see here, in 2007 McD’s spent $1.15 Billion dollars (that’s billion with a B.) on advertising.
$1.15 Billion!!!
They spent how much on this “endorsement”?
$20,000???
((huh))
Did I miss something here?
Let’s look at those numbers in “compare and contrast” mode… maybe the lack of zeros on the first number make it hard to comprehend.
$20,000.00 (This is what they spent to get the position on the board, as I understand this article.)
$1,150,100,000.00 (This is what they spent on their advertising last year.)
Advertising is not even the “full weight” of a corporation, but just looking at these numbers, I would say that this aspect of them “reaching out” to the gay community is not even the “full weight” of their advertising budget! I would say that it is about 2/1000’s of 1% of their advertising budget (someone please correct my math if I am wrong)!
If anyone should be upset, it should be the gay community that is allowing McD’s to claim to be such a great partner for such a small price.
Talk about pennies on the dollar!
*****
Regarding the hate thing, I hate to point this out, but it is really a matter of semantics.
From the Christian point of view, one does not hate a homosexual, but one believes that an unforgiven homosexual (as with an unforgiven ________ – fornicator, blasphemer, thief, murderer, etc.) will suffer the consequence of eternal separation from God (A.K.A. Hell). Similar to someone who gets lung cancer from smoking cigarettes, it is not the “brand” of cigs. or the “brand” of sin that matters, it is the refusal to admit ones shortcomings to Almighty God and seek forgiveness and restored relationship with aforementioned God that condemns one to this fate.
From the gay community’s perspective, their activity should not be considered sin. It is hateful to suggest that the love they share for one another is sinful. So, yes, from one perspective, the AFA has its own brand of hate and bigotry.
Interestingly, some gay people consider what they do “sin”, some do not, and still others (possibly a vast majority?) do not believe there is a God, and so how could the activity be either “sin” or “not sin”?
Meanwhile, back on the Christian front, some believe that homosexuality is a sin, some do not, while still others feel that God, in His sovereignty, is more interested in something else entirely and could give an angel’s trumpet how you feel about the opposite gender vs. your own gender.
Supposing there is a God. And further supposing that He says “unrepentant homosexuals not admitted without endorsement from Jesus”, is it really “hateful” for the AFA to pass that message along to the good people of earth?
Suppose that there is no God. Doesn’t that change everything? Now “heaven” is just a club that “christians” invented, and their exclusion of homosexuals from that club seems quite hateful indeed!
Sean asks:
“Does AFA Hate Homosexuals?”
Before I can answer that, I need to know…
1. Is there a God?
2. Has He excluded homosexuals from being in His presence?
…and still others (possibly a vast majority?) do not believe there is a God…
Where is that coming from? Are homosexuals more likely to be atheists?
I think the problem is that some Christians take their charge as God’s morality police a little too seriously. Except, of course, when it comes to their own back yard.
Actually, I didn’t ask if they hated homosexuals… that was part of the quote from their website.
Point well made Sean. Not necessarily. My point, in that situation is that perhaps a majority of them don’t really care what God may or may not think, considering that He is just a figment of the imagination of Christian fundies. I did not mean to infer that the vast majority are anything. That is why I prefaced it with possibly as in, for the sake of argument. I have no idea how the “atheist” circle and the “homosexual” circle overlap, nor was I claiming to have an inkling of a clue about that… just a hypothetical. Sorry for any confusion.
I agree with you about the morality police bit with one exception. I don’t think you go far enough with “a little too seriously”. It seems to me that “their own back yard” is the only “jurisdiction” their policing is meant to have.
I am pretty sure that the God says (via the Bible) that “all have sinned”. So, morality police are unnecessary. Everyone is, essentially, a convicted felon already. So what need is there to point to a certain group and say, “what you did/do/are doing is wrong?” If it is true that all are equally guilty before Almighty God, wouldn’t this be like one group of prison inmates calling another group of prison inmates “criminals”? Seems like the whole thing is a contradiction of ones stated beliefs.
Sorry about mistaking your “quote” as coming from you. Clearly that was part of their website and not your thoughts.
Sean, here is my question for you though.
Should AFA be angry at McD’s for the equivalent of dropping a few pennies on the gay community or should the gay community be outraged that McD’s is getting all this press for so cheap?
Well, we’re in agreement. What’s the fun in that?
Let me address your last question as a marketing/PR guy and personal feelings aside:
The AFA is the PR victor in all this. IMHO, McDonald’s gets limited benefit by dropping $20K on the Gay chamber, but deserves some cred for standing up to these… folks.
But look at the press the AFA is getting from this Boycott McD’s business. They want to get their soundbytes and talking points out and on the air, and they’ll protest whomever will get them the most airtime. Just being in the same debate with powerhouse brand McD’s is a coup for them.
That’s why there’s a new lawsuit against McDonald’s every day. It’s freaking ridiculous. People sued McDonald’s because they found a manager who was a convicted child molester. The same week a child molester sued McDonald’s for discrimination because they wouldn’t hire him. It’s outrageous. They’re one of the largest employers of the handicapped, but get sued for $4 Million cuz the drive thru lady gets grossed out when a woman hands her a credit card with her feet.
They try for years to sell the McLean but nobody buys it. Then they get sued for making our kids fat, lazy and stupid.
McD’s has to be the most embattled company in history. And while everyone says they hate them, they keep eating there 3X a week. Go figure.
“McD’s has to be the most embattled company in history. And while everyone says they hate them, they keep eating there 3X a week. Go figure.”
Aw, c’mon, Sean. Why in the world would you look for reasonable, responsible behavior in a country where McD’s is sued for a spilled cup of coffee and the City of SF loses a suit by a woman claiming that being bumped by a cable car made her a nymphomaniac. McD’s is just an oh-so-handy whipping boy and, as you pointed out, great free PR.
As to AFA, I truly believe that there’s a special ring in a warm place for ANYBODY pushing ANY kind of intolerance from ANY side of ANY political/religious/social issue. I’m totally ecumenical—I dislike them all:)
MacD chose to found themselves in the most litigious and over-lawed country on earth , if you’ll excuse the made-up word. So why should they be concerned,they no doubt will make a PR film out of this and sell it to hollywood.Not being able to text on your phone outside your house is the next law coming for the protection of people against themselves. The nympho who was bumped off should come to Italy,she may not be able to sue anyone but she would be famous overnight and on TV everynight.
Great Debate Sean!
Miki:
Do you have the contact info for cable car lady?
I do a little counseling on the side…
Sean
Yup, Google can do almost anything. It’s funny, I heard the story when I moved to SF in 1977 and the number had alread balooned considerably. Here’s your contact info, Sean, but I’m afraid you’re going to be sadly disappointed:)
Miki:
I lived in SF in 78. Were you there?
Van Ness & Green.
I’m sure the AFA wasn’t hanging out there on Polk Street during the Halloween Bash.
(I rode that Cable Car, too. I got neither $50K nor 100 women.)
You’re KIDDING! I moved there in ‘77 and had a tiny apartment at Lombard and Van Ness above the Black Magic bar:) We were neighbors only the apartment building I remember (gorgeous, multi-story, white art deco) was beyond me at the time. I bought a tiny house in Bernal Heights in ‘79 right before that giant storm that broke the drought.
Too weird. Perhaps we shared a cocktail or two at the Johnny Porter’s 007 1/2 Club Lounge which was my favorite spot… right down the street. I’m sure I spent some time at the Black Magic bar – I would never have passed up a name like that.
A friend and I lived in the Van Green Apartments, at Van Ness & Green, where you paid weekly by sliding cash under the bulletproof glass. We drank Lucky Beer and hunted the cockroaches for sport. Years later I was there on a video shoot and spun by to show the crew the fleabag joint I’d once lived. It had been gentrified… doorman and everything.
We thought the sixties were still going on… but we were about 10 years late. Great city.
Wow this is one interesting meet up between Sean and Miki, San Fran in the seventies. Smoky bars.cocktails, art deco, rent money slid under the glass, I want in! I see a great new franchise meetup. How about,SanFranUs puts facebook to Shame! A new club.
wisequeen
We can include reviews of all the novels and short stories I was going to write there… and didn’t.
That’s not the SF I was in (or at least not that part), we were closer to Pacific Heights than the Haight. But Lord Jim’s was flourishing, the Castro was still fun and the free hors d’oeuvre in the Financial district where I worked were to die for. Sean was more likely partying around the corner from his home in Cow Hollow:)
PS I don’t do Facebook and SF still hates franchises:)
Exactly my point, I hate facebook too. So this elite club would only let in those who were bonified SFs from the sixties and seventies. A piece of a tie dye T shirt, an Eagles or Doobie brothers vinyl LP, or an original harley badge would have to be produced at the door. The hippies are bummed out let’s celebrate them. Sean has the scripts man!
The American Family Association needs money. That is the only reason why they are stirring up trouble with MacDonald’s. This is how they rustle up dollars to support their cause.
Let’s all be clear here. The homosexual agenda is “equality.” That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. Now who doesn’t believe in equality. It’s also really good for business.
The cynic I’ve become concludes that the only equality truly desired by most factions is the kind described by the pigs at Animal Farm.
I say ‘most’ since there may be a faction I haven’t heard about yet:)
But Blog Administrators ARE more equal than others.
Did you see the episode of 30 Days (That supersize me guy’s show) where the right wing Christian woman lived with a gay male couple with children. It was an interesting mini-documentary. She wasn’t a bad person, but it was clear that while everyone has their viewpoints, some people’s viewpoints deprive others of their basic rights.
Even those these guys were excellent parents providing a stable, loving home to a group of happy kids, if the woman had her way they would be back in dysfunctional dangerous homes or split up and scattered in the foster home system.
She wasn’t a bad person, just as some AFA members probably really do mean well. But if one group’s viewpoint impedes anothers legitimate freedoms, they need to back off and let God sort it out in the next life.
I’m sure she’s capable of handling it quite well.
Sean, shame on you. You of all people should know that “a stable, loving home to a group of happy kids” should take a backseat to the ideology. After all, we can always hire more police and build more prisions to deal with those dysfunctional results.
Miki writes: Why in the world would you look for reasonable, responsible behavior in a country where McD’s is sued for a spilled cup of coffee…
Just to be clear, this is a gross oversimplification. There are stupid lawsuits out there, but this is not one of them. Good synopses of this case are on the DMIblog and the ATLA site:
http://www.justice.org/pressroom/facts/frivolous/McdonaldsCoffeecase.aspx
Sorry, Paul, I agree that I should have stuck with the nymphomaniac as an example.
That said, anyone who rests a cup of hot liquid between their legs and pulls the lid off is, at the least, not thinking.
McD’s should have settled, but I’ve noticed that lawyers only settle (without admitting or denying guilt) with government agencies, not individuals.
Sorry, Paul, I agree that I should have stuck with the nymphomaniac as an example.
It’s hard to go wrong sticking with the nymphomaniac example.
Sean, is that a Freudian slip?
is that a Freudian slip?
I don’t wear those anymore
Probably ’cause you gave it to the nymph.