In a move predicted by GaySoFla.com back in April, an anti-gay religious organization initiated a boycott last week of McDonalds because the fast food giant joined the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

The American Family Association is urging its members to steer clear of McDonalds, saying the hamburger chain has refused “to stay neutral in the cultural war over homosexuality.”   

"We're saying that there are people who support AFA who don't appreciate their dollars from the hamburgers they bought being put into an organization that's going to fight against the values they believe in,” said Tim Wildmon, the group’s president.  The boycott was launched last week after McDonalds refused AFA’s request to remove itself from the Chamber.

McDonalds isn’t the first corporation to draw the ire of AFA.  The association ended a two-year boycott of Ford in March after the automaker stopped advertising in the gay media. AFA asserts its efforts were successful and credits the boycott for the automaker’s slumping sales.

But according to John Neff of Autoblog.com, Ford did nothing to appease AFA.  “It (Ford) continues to offer benefits to same-sex couples and the only reason it has reduced or stopped advertising in gay pubs is because mounting losses in the U.S. have shrunk its marketing budget,” Neff wrote on his blog in March.   

“The AFA is taking credit for something it had nothing to do with and putting words in the Dearborn Company’s mouth, kind of like when the organization claimed that its boycott was the reason for Ford's sales slump in recent years.” Neff continued.

“Yeah, it wouldn't have anything to do with a lineup that was overflowing with trucks and SUVs, increased competition from Japan, the high cost of health care, or any one of a hundred actually valid reasons,”  Neff wryly observed. 

McDonalds is refusing to bow to AFA’s threat of economic terrorism. “At McDonald’s, we respect and value everyone,” said Pat Harris, Chief Diversity Officer for McDonald’s Corporation.   “Diversity and inclusion are business imperatives and integral parts of our culture. We have a long and proud history of leadership in these areas and continually strive to maintain a work environment where everyone feels valued and accepted,” Harris continued. 

GaySoFla.com Action Alert:  The American Family Association has created a website for consumers to petition McDonalds to abandon its commitments to fairness, diversity and equality.  The website also has some very revealing and somewhat amusing comments posted by AFA supporters.  CLICK HERE to leave your messages of support for McDonalds.  Your comments will most likely not be approved, mine weren’t.  But at least AFA will know not everyone agrees with their homophobic efforts. 

David L. Wylie is the Senior Editor of GaySOFLA Magazine.  Wylie is passionate about creating an online media outlet that will encourage, entertain and educate the south Florida LGBT Community.  Wylie hopes that GaySOFLA serves that purpose.  He can be reached at David@gaysofla.com