Ford Stuck Between a Rock and a Gay Place

DETROIT December 15, 2005; Dee-Ann Durbin writing for the AP reported that the conservative American Family Association said Thursday it will consider reinstating a boycott against Ford Motor Co. because the automaker plans to continue running advertisements in gay publications.

Ford said last week it planned to stop advertising its Jaguar and Land Rover luxury brands in gay publications to reduce its marketing costs. But after gay rights groups complained and held meetings with the automaker, Ford reversed course and said Wednesday it would continue to advertise all of its eight brands in gay publications.

There was a Jaguar ad Thursday afternoon on the Web site of The Advocate, a biweekly gay magazine.

"We had an agreement with Ford, worked out in good faith. Unfortunately, some Ford Motor Co. officials made the decision to violate the good faith agreement," AFA Chairman Don Wildmon said in a news release. "We are now considering our response to the violation and expect to reach a decision very soon."

The AFA originally called for a boycott against Ford last spring but suspended the boycott for six months at the request of a group of Ford dealers.

"All we wanted was for Ford to refrain from choosing sides in the cultural war, and supporting groups which promote same-sex marriage is not remaining neutral," Wildmon said.

A message seeking comment was left with Ford on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Ford said it wasn't ordering its luxury brands to resume their ads but plans to advertise all of its brands in gay publications.

"It is my hope that this will remove any ambiguity about Ford's desire to advertise to all important audiences and put this particular issue to rest," Joe Laymon, Ford's group vice president for corporate human resources, said in a statement.