A coalition of 19 hate groups led by the anti-gay American Family Association are launching a yearlong attempt to boycott Ford Motor Co. because of the automaker's alleged support of homosexual causes and its ads in gay-oriented publications.
The AFA first threatened the boycott last year but held off after talks with two Ford executives who traveled to Tupelo, Mississippi, to meet with the group.
In December following that meeting, Ford announced it would pull advertising for its Jaguar and Land Rover luxury brands from gay publications, but then reversed course after coming under heavy fire from gay-rights activists charging that the automaker caved in to pressure from the conservative AFA.
AFA and its conservative coalition say they have reinstated their attempt to lead a boycott of Ford cars and trucks because the automaker backed away that promise to stop advertising in publications aimed at gays and lesbians.
The group also contends Ford has reneged on promises it made to cut donations to gay-rights organizations.
Ford refused to address the boycott attempt directly but issued a statement saying, "Ford is proud of its tradition of treating all with respect, and we remain focused on what we do best, building and selling the most innovative cars and trucks."
On its Web site, the AFA in a statement said: "Ford has every right to give hundreds of thousands of dollars to groups promoting homosexual marriage. But those who oppose homosexual marriage have every right not to buy automobiles made by Ford Motor Company."
Ford is not the first company to come under fire for its stance on homosexual rights. AFA Chairman Donald Wildmon, a United Methodist minister, has instigated or threatened dozens of boycotts against corporations since 1978.
Other corporations including Microsoft Corp. and Walt Disney Co. have found themselves facing demands from groups on both sides of the culture wars.
In declaring its one-year boycott of Ford, the AFA cited the carmaker's sponsorship of gay-pride events in the United States and Britain and its practice of requiring employees to undergo diversity training.
