Issues@Hand
AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs
April 2006 – AFA has called for a one-year boycott of Ford Motor Company, after Ford reneged on an agreement to stop funding the gay agenda, which includes homosexual marriage. In addition to Ford vehicles, the company makes Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover, Mazda, Lincoln and Mercury.
“Ford could have easily avoided this boycott had they desired to do so by simply remaining neutral in the cultural battles,” said AFA Chairman Don Wildmon.
He noted that leaders of 44 pro-family groups urged the company not to take sides when it came to the controversial issue of homosexuality. However, Ford totally rejected the plea of the leaders and publicly announced their continued support of the homosexual groups. (See here for a related article on Ford’s pro-homosexual policies and practices.)
“Ford gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to homosexual groups, which allows them to use those funds to pay their fixed expenses, while using other monies in promoting homosexual marriage,” Wildmon said.
Ford’s commitment to the homosexual agenda was summarized by the Detroit Free Press: “Ford Motor Company, led by Chairman Bill Ford, donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to homosexual groups, sponsors gay pride parades and holds mandatory diversity training for employees. …”
On the basis of these practices, AFA called for a boycott of Ford products in May 2005. However, when AFA was approached by a dealer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, AFA agreed to meet with several Ford dealers.
At that meeting the dealers asked that AFA suspend the boycott for six months to give them time to see what they could do to avoid a controversy. AFA agreed to the suspension and agreed to work with the dealers and Ford.
Over the next six months, AFA met with three representatives from Ford on three different occasions. Representing Ford in the discussions were Ziad Ojakli, group vice president, corporate affairs; David Leitch, senior vice president and general counsel; and Jerry Reynolds, a Ford dealer from the Dallas area.
At the last meeting on November 28, Ford agreed to end incentive programs that give cash donations to homosexual organizations based on the purchase of a vehicle; stop giving corporate donations to homosexual organizations that, as part of their activities, engage in political or social campaigns to promote civil unions or same-sex marriage; stop giving cash and vehicle donations or endorsements to homosexual social activities such as “gay pride” parades; and cease all advertising in homosexual Web sites and media outlets (magazines, television, radio) in the U.S. with the exception of $100,000 to be used by Volvo. (The Volvo ads would be the same ads used in the general media and not aimed at the homosexual community specifically.)
However, after this agreement was made, several homosexual groups complained to Ford, and the company invited leaders from those groups to a meeting. After being told by the homosexual groups that the agreement between Ford and AFA was unacceptable, Ford Chairman Bill Ford reneged on the AFA/Ford agreement and caved in to the demands of the homosexuals. To appease the homosexuals, Ford announced that all their brands, not just a few, would support the homosexual media with advertising.
The homosexual leaders also demanded and got a letter from Ford stating that the company would continue their strong support of homosexual groups. All the homosexual organizations which receive financial support from Ford have the legalization of homosexual marriage as the top item on their agenda. 
