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Following AFA Boycott, McDonald's Exec Leaves Gay Group

The antigay American Family Association has ended its five-month boycott against McDonald's after a company executive resigned from a gay and lesbian business group, reports the Chicago Tribune.


The antigay American Family Association has ended its five-month boycott against McDonald's after a company executive resigned from a gay and lesbian business group, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Richard Ellis has stepped down from the board of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and the AFA claims it's because of the stress it placed on the Oak Brook, Ill.-based company. The AFA claimed that by participating in the gay chamber, McDonald's wasn't remaining neutral "in the cultural war over homosexuality."

But a McDonald's spokesman says Ellis left the chamber because he recently left his post as vice president of U.S. communications for an executive position at McDonald's in Canada, and the gay chamber is a U.S. association. Though not officially caving to the AFA, a McDonald's spokesman distanced the corporation from the gay group.

"Richard's decision to be a member of the board was a personal decision, not a company decision," Jack Daly, McDonald's global chief communications officer, told the Tribune. Daly added that McDonald's is not a member of the chamber and that the company, which was previously a sponsor of the gay group's fund-raising gala, has no plans to be a sponsor of the event next year.

According to the AFA, McDonald's e-mailed franchise owners with the following message: "It is our policy to not be involved in political and social issues. McDonald's remains neutral on same-sex marriage or any 'homosexual agenda' as defined by the American Family Association."

The AFA's website carried the message "We appreciate the decision by McDonald's to no longer support political activity by homosexual activist organizations. You might want to thank your local McDonald's manager." (Neal Broverman, The Advocate)

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Miguel
    Date posted: 10/14/2008 5:22:00 AM
    Hometown: Barcelona, Spain

    Comment:

    It is incredible. You (AFA) undevalue the humanity rights, and the Christian things. All of us are equal to the God eyes, or not? Your good faith sucks, and the same for your civil values.

  • Name: Nobody
    Date posted: 10/14/2008 5:00:00 AM
    Hometown: Nowhere

    Comment:

    The Country of Freedom? What a joke!

  • Name: Jason
    Date posted: 10/13/2008 11:51:00 AM
    Hometown: Mississauga Canada

    Comment:

    McDonalds food is for Evangelical Chrisitians only. Gays not allowed. Got it!

  • Name: Alvin Schrader
    Date posted: 10/13/2008 11:46:00 AM
    Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Comment:

    McD's is "neutral"? There is no such thing. As Bush II said awhile back, you're either with us or agin us. Which is to say, neutrality on gay issues is a cowardly refusal to support these civil rights issues.

  • Name: jennifer
    Date posted: 10/12/2008 9:16:00 PM
    Hometown: columbus oh

    Comment:

    I used to take the grand kids to McDonald's for happy meals. Yhat will stop now as any orginization that does nothing to the haters in their empoly will not recive my money. Being trandgendered is hard enought with out being treated that way by some clown.

  • Name: Micca
    Date posted: 10/12/2008 6:57:00 AM
    Hometown: Rockledge, Fl

    Comment:

    I never did like McD's food! So, my boycotting it will not help except to pass it on to my friends! What I really want to say is that these hit and miss "boycotts" are very effective but not strong enough! There has to be an organized NATIONAL boycott all over the nation and some of the other countries that share our discrimination! Too bad that I am not capable with organizational virtues... but I wish someone would take up the standard! Al

  • Name: Scott
    Date posted: 10/12/2008 12:41:00 AM
    Hometown: Sydney, Australia

    Comment:

    I do not eat at McDonalds for health and taste reasons. I have been known to go to McCAfe and sometimes get fries. I will now find alternatives. While it may not be fair to McDonalds Australia they do pay money towards the Us operation for use of name etc. So I will be boycotting and getting my friends to do the same. Hopefully when McDonalds realises the International reach of incidents like this they will make concerted efforts to start treating people equally.

  • Name: John
    Date posted: 10/11/2008 6:47:00 PM
    Hometown: St Petersburg, FL

    Comment:

    I rarely eat the kind of crap they sling up at McDonald's. But with a road trip vacation coming up next month where my partner and I will be driving from Florida to New York and back, it's inevitable we'll be grabbing some fast food along the way. After reading this, it won't be from McDonald's.

  • Name: Patrick L.
    Date posted: 10/11/2008 10:08:00 AM
    Hometown: New York

    Comment:

    I am actually glad that the boycott by the AFA has been lifted. Now they can go back to eating McDonald's crappy fast food and dying sooner.

  • Name: Gene
    Date posted: 10/11/2008 12:36:00 AM
    Hometown: Lake Oswego

    Comment:

    I was nearly run down by a driver of a SUV. I was walking on the sidewalk that passes in front of the McDonalds in Lake Grove, a neighbourhood of Lake Oswego. I had a camera with me and I stood on the sidewalk waiting to take a photo of the SUV and driver when the came out of the drive through area. I was accosted by a manager of the McDonalds demanding what I was doing. I told and also told him to go away and leave me alone. He told me I could not take photos of the restaurant. I advised him that I was on a public sidewalk and I could photograph anything I wanted. I was not on McDonalds property. I told him I wanted to take a photograph of the vehicle and driver who had nearly run me down while I was walking along the side walk. I later contacted McDonalds HQ by email a lodge a complaint about being harassed by their manager. I later received a call from the manager and he apologized for the trouble. Regardless, I have never spent another cent at McDonalds.



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