Ford Shareholders to Vote on 'Sexual Orientation' in Company Policy

by Allie Martin and Jody Brown
April 5, 2006

(AgapePress) - - The founder of a prominent pro-family group that has called for a year-long boycott of the Ford Motor Company believes the huge automaker will side with homosexuals during its annual board meeting next month. At that meeting, Ford shareholders' decision will be announced on whether to amend the company's equal employment policy to exclude "sexual orientation."

The vote comes after shareholder Robert Hurley, a doctor from Illinois, submitted a proposal recommending that Ford change its equal employment policy to remove any reference to sexual orientation, activities, or interest. Ford asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to keep the measure off its proxy statement during the May 11 board meeting in Delaware, arguing it would damage the company's ability to recruit because some universities require companies to include sexual orientation in their policies. Associated Press also reports Ford had stated that publicity over changing the policy could hurt auto sales to supporters of homosexual rights.

But the federal agency refused Ford's request, saying that a rule that allows companies to reject proposals that deal with "ordinary business operations" does not apply to this case. Ford has said the proposal -- along with comments from the company -- will be included in the proxy statements going out later this week. Results will be announced at the May meeting.

The American Family Association, along with 28 other pro-family groups, has announced a one-year boycott of Ford over the automaker's support of homosexual-rights groups that promote same-sex "marriage." AFA founder and chairman Donald Wildmon admits he does not see the logic in Ford's argument to the SEC.

"In essence Ford is saying they are concerned that a boycott by homosexual groups would financially hurt the company, but the boycott by the pro-family groups will not," Wildmon says. "So they tried to keep [the proposal] off the ballot -- but it is still going to be on the ballot."

Ford could have avoided the entire controversy, says Wildmon. "All this [shareholder-proposed] resolution does is ask Ford to remain neutral in the homosexual culture wars," he explains, "which is exactly what we asked Ford to do back in January -- and which is precisely what Ford refused to do."

The BoycottFord.com campaign was announced in early March after Ford backed out of an agreement to stop funding homosexual groups which promote homosexual marriage. In effect, says Wildmon, that response amounted to Ford saying "'No, we're not going to do that -- we're going to side with the homosexual groups."

Ford reported on Monday that sales fell five percent in March. The automaker attributed the decline primarily to a waning interest in its sport utility vehicles (SUVs). In the last week Ford shares have dropped from $8.29 (on March 30) to a low of $7.47 (Wednesday morning, April 5) -- a decline of approximately ten percent.