Groups Crank Up One-Year Boycott of Ford Motor Co.
by Allie Martin and Jody Brown
March 13, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Nineteen pro-family groups are calling for a one-year boycott of the Ford Motor Company because of the automaker's continuing support of pro-homosexual groups pushing for same-sex "marriage."
According to the American Family Association, the boycott was announced after the automaker reneged on an agreement to stop funding homosexual groups that promote same-sex marriage. Among the groups joining AFA in endorsing the boycott are the Center for Reclaiming America, Liberty Counsel, CatholicVote.org, Faith2Action, and Citizens for Community Values. (A complete list is available on the Internet) AFA says other organizations are expected to endorse the boycott during the next few weeks.
AFA founder and chairman Don Wildmon says the boycott was originally called for in May 2005 but, at the request of several Ford dealers, was suspended for six months to allow time to resolve the issue. Wildmon says an agreement was reached, but Ford backed out.
"We shook hands; we had everything down on paper," he says, "and when the people who were negotiating with us went back to Ford, [officials with the automaker] killed all of our agreements that took us six months to agree on." Not only did they void the agreement, Wildmon adds, "they [said they] were going to go on supporting groups that promote homosexual marriage."
Ford's support for those groups, says AFA, includes funding of homosexual organizations and activities, and advertising in homosexual media. Wildmon contends the automaker reneged under pressure from homosexual activist groups. The boycott, he explains, is intended to send a message.
"It's not something that we wanted to do," the AFA founder concedes. "In fact, we've spent the last three months trying to work out something to keep from being pushed this way. But we have not had any success whatsoever [in that direction]."
AFA has established a website -- BoycottFord.com -- providing details and examples of Ford's advertising in pro-homosexual media and support for the homosexual agenda. Included on that website is a December 2005 letter from Ford [PDF] stating it would continue its strong support of homosexual groups. Wildmon does not begrudge the automaker's right to choose where to spend its advertising dollars.
"Ford has the right to financially support homosexual groups promoting homosexual marriage," he says, "but at the same time consumers have a right not to purchase automobiles made by Ford."
And Wildmon hopes auto buyers will steer away from Ford in the coming year. The boycott includes all automobiles manufactured by Ford, including Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Volvo, Land Rover, Mazda, and Jaguar.
