Focus on the Family Dumps Wells Fargo
by AFA Journal
March 31, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Focus on the Family announced in December that it is ending its banking relationship with Wells Fargo due to that company's aggressive efforts to promote the homosexual-rights movement.
Over the years, the pro-family organization had become aware of other pro-homosexual efforts by the company. But what finally tipped the scales was the decision by Wells Fargo to support the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) with company money.
"Earlier this year we learned that Wells Fargo gave a matching gift to a pro-homosexual group to enable it to raise more money to fight organizations like our own," Focus said in a December press release. "As one of Wells Fargo's customers, we objected, and we received no satisfactory resolution from the bank's corporate office."
In fact, Focus noted that a statement on GLAAD's website was filled with praise for the company's support: "Incredible news: Wells Fargo has offered to help support GLAAD's fight for equality against the Anti-Gay industry by matching your tax-deductible contribution dollar for dollar."
Focus said it realized that it could not limit its business relationships only to companies that were explicitly Christian. "That said, when our bank allows proceeds from our business to be used to impede our work, we must object, even if it inconveniences us in our professional relationships."
Another pro-family group -- the American Family Association -- recently announced a one-year boycott of the Ford Motor Company, in part for the automaker's financial donations to homosexual-rights groups, GLAAD among them. According to AFA, Ford last year pledged to give up to $1,000 to GLAAD for every Jaguar or Land Rover purchased. Other pro-homosexual groups Ford has funded include the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force ($200,000 in 1999) and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Campaign ($100,000, also in 1999).
This article, reprinted with permission, appears in the April 2006 issue of AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association.
