Posted on 05/26/2005 3:21:35 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
A hard-line Southern conservative group has mobilized its members to protest against Kraft for its sponsorship of the 2006 Chicago Gay Games.
But Kraft isn't budging.
Kraft, the Illinois-based parent company of Madison's Oscar Mayer, is giving $25,000 to the games. The quadrennial games include competition in 30 sports, as well as arts and cultural activities. They will take place next July 15-22.
The American Family Association, which claims to have 2.2 million members, "exists to motivate and equip citizens to change the culture to reflect biblical truth," according to its mission statement. It is based in Tupelo, Miss.
Kraft has promoted itself as a family-oriented company, and its decision to sponsor the games is at odds with that image, said Randy Sharp, the association's director of special projects.
"Their commercials revolve around children, the macaroni and cheese, Kraft singles slices. They've got the little cow, the half glass of milk in every slice," Sharp said. "American moms and dads have come to respect Kraft. They look at Kraft as a family icon. I think they're shocked to learn Kraft is doing this."
But the company says it is standing behind its donation. Kris Charles, director of external communications for Kraft, declined to say how much pressure it was getting from protesters, although Sharp estimated the number of phone calls was in the thousands.
Charles said the donation was the idea of Kraft's Rainbow Council, one of many employee groups throughout the company. She said the company is not making a political statement with its donation.
"We have no plans whatsoever to change our stance based on this group's, or any other, objections. We are standing behind our sponsorship," Charles said.
Kevin Boyer, co-vice chairman of the board and the chairman of the marketing committee at the Gay Games, said Kraft's decision is consistent with the company's commitment to diversity.
"Obviously, we are disappointed that Kraft has been targeted by extremists for a position that is very laudable. But we're very proud of Kraft and all our corporate sponsors and their decision to stand by this very important sporting and cultural event," Boyer said.
Currently, Kraft is the only major company to sponsor the games, although the games boast a long list of small-organization sponsors. There are four major companies that are about to sign deals to endorse the games, Boyer said. The games are also in discussions with between 50 and 60 companies for sponsorships, Boyer said.
The American Family Association's Sharp argued that recent state constitutional amendment votes have shown Americans are opposed to gay marriage, as well as "the activism that's involved with that."
"We're educating them, if you as a consumer, a customer of Kraft, find the use of their profits to promote the homosexual lifestyle offensive, you should let them know," he said.
But Nikki Baumblatt, community relations coordinator for Outreach Inc., characterized Sharp's approach as ignorant and divisive. Outreach is Madison's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community center.
"We eat macaroni and cheese as well. We have families as well," Baumblatt said. "My life is just as boring as everyone else's. But there's a faction of people out there that won't let me live my life."
Baumblatt said many companies are learning from the mistakes of Microsoft, which several weeks ago withdrew its support of a gay rights bill in Washington state. After fierce criticism by employees and outsiders, chairman Bill Gates said he would reconsider the company's stance when the legislation comes back in front of the state Legislature.
The Gay Games' Boyer said the American Family Association is using a tried-and-true strategy of mass-mailing people who already share their "extremely hyper" perspective to mobilize them, creating the illusion of wide-scale agreement.
"How badly must you hate gay people to not even want them to play softball?" Boyer said.
ROFLMAO! You can't make this stuff up! Once again, anyone even questioning The Gay Agenda is labeled an "extremist." Man, they're good at this! *Rolleyes*
Full disclosure: I buy GENERIC everything, including the rare box of Mac-n-Cheese that crosses my doorstep these days (no little kids at home anymore, *SNIF*)
I guess Kraft will know what to do when NAMBLA wants them to sponsor a little league team of their consorts.
Gay games? Nero (Daly) get your fiddle.
Dang! I've boycotted all other foods for various reasons. Mac N Cheese was all I had left!
"Gay Games"? How unbelievably stupid. Imagine what Mencken or Twain could have done with this.
Good excuse not to ever by Velveeta again!
I'm shocked that Kraft would blow away family values and support an organization that seeks to exclude people of a particular sexual bent. Heterosexuals everywhere should protest to let Kraft know that we won't stand for discrimination against any sexual orientation!
I agree! WTF is this all about? On the one hand these people want to invade any mainstream cultural icon that's out there while at the same time they want their own, apparently exclusionary, 'Games'. In the process they collect pandering Pols and Corps.
Lev 18:22 (KJV) "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination".
ML/NJ
They stock Military Commissaries, too. I'd bet a doughnut that they make some of the foodstuffs I've eaten in those gawd-aweful MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat) over the years as well.
Oh. Duh. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" must apply here. Silly me! *Rolleyes*
Someone asked what Twain would say about this? What the h#ll would General Patton have to say? ;)
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kraftmilitary/
"We eat macaroni and cheese as well. We have families as well,' Baumblatt said. 'My life is just as boring as everyone else's.' But there is a faction of people out there that won't let me live my life."
Now that's a contradiction. She's obviously alive. She eats mac' 'n' cheese. Has a family. Is apparently boring, but we are not allowing her to live?! Are there people standing outside the house she FREELY bought, or rents, ready to blow her off the face of the planet if she dare step out of her house?!
You don't want to watch their pole vault!
Maybe that's why Oscar Meyer is part of the Kraft "Gay Games" family
Yes, we've come a long way since then - Most of the direction down.
This is just another opportunity to have a great orgy after the games. Some of the games they play are Naked Leapfrog, Sucking a golf ball thru a garden hose, Lip Licking, Gloryhole stuffing while blindfolded,Die Hard Dildoing,Carpet Munching astroturf,Gerbil hide and go seek some games that are unmentionable and a good refreshing Golden Shower after the games.
This will not make any difference in my attempt at avoidance of obviously Altria products. Unfortunately Altria/Kraft is so big now that it is often hard to avoid buying their products, becuase you don't even know that the products are owned by Altria.
I was a long time supporter of General Foods because it was a major employer in the community I lived, and I continued even after the Kraft name overtook the GF name. I started looking for more and more alternatives when I started disliking the policies of the parent company, then it was Philip Morris, now Altria...........that became difficult when the eventually took over Nabisco, and Post and a whole host of other common brand labels.
Was that list from memory?? :)
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