Sunday, October 11, 2009

Thirsty?

PepsiCo draws conservative ire for backing gay rights
A group of religious conservatives, ever on the outlook for another group or entity at which to wag a collective, scolding finger, have ratcheted up rhetoric aimed squarely at PepsiCo for its alleged support of "the homosexual agenda."

The American Family Association, which has been promoting a boycott of Pepsi since January, said in a statement Tuesday it has secured more than 500,000 signatures from those pledging to stop buying Pepsi products, which include soft drinks, salty snacks, juices and oatmeal (as if there were anything less wholesome than oatmeal, for chrissake).

AFA's beef with Pepsi is for what it calls the Purchase, N.Y.-based company's financial support of groups promoting the "homosexual agenda." AFA points to two gay-rights groups in particular: Human Rights Campaign and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, better known by the acronym PFLAG.

PepsiCo didn't respond to queries about the boycott, or whether it donates to these groups. But it does note on its website that it earned a top score, 100 percent, in HRC's 2009 Corporate Equality Index, an annual measure of gay-friendly employment policies. PepsiCo achieved the same score in the 2010 index, along with 305 other companies, according to HRC. PFLAG notes on its site that PepsiCo is among its corporate sponsors.

I think I'll go get me a Mountain Dew.

10 comments:

Fran said...

Grab one for me while you're at it, wouldya Dusty?

Thanks!

BCB said...

I'm not sure I can give up diet coke. But I'm definitely going over to Pepsi's website to see what other products I can buy. "Salty snacks" sounds likely. I wonder if they make anything with chocolate...

JD Rhoades said...

Anyone else need anything while I'm up? Gatorade? Aquafina?

David said...

Got any Fritos?

Rae said...

Well, now I'm feeling pretty good about my Diet Pepsi addiction....

Celine said...

I liked the first comment over there:

"It's kind of funny that they boycott Pepsi but scream about people who boycott companies who donated in support of Calif. Prop 8."

One more instance of IOKIYAR, I guess.

Unknown said...

Wow, I don't even like soda, but I will now buy some Pepsi on principle alone!

Charlieopera said...

A group of religious conservatives, ever on the outlook for another group or entity at which to wag a collective, scolding finger, have ratcheted up rhetoric aimed squarely at PepsiCo for its alleged support of "the homosexual agenda."

I'm not sure which is worse ... a blantantly anti-gay group that pulls this kind of nonsense or a political party (and its President) that hides behind "the sanctity of marriage" to ignore the gay community.

Nader in 2012

David Terrenoire said...

I don't drink soda, but doesn't Pepsi also market an OJ?

Gerard said...

That's so gay.