THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

According to The Washington Blade, the announcement was the second by the company since a meeting on Dec. 12 between a coalition of gay-rights groups and the automaker. The most recent statement was in response to reports issued the previous week that Ford made a deal with the ultra-conservative American Family Association to cease some advertising in LGBT publications in order to avert a boycott. Various media reports stated that Ford had agreed to not advertise its Jaguar and Land Rover brands in gay publications.

Joe Laymon, a Ford vice-president, said that ' [ i ] t is clear there is a misconception about our intent. As a result we have decided to run ads in these target publications that will include not only Jaguar and Land Rover, but all eight of Ford's brands."

Gay-rights organizations lauded the corporation's actions. For example, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ( GLAAD ) praised Ford's latest declaration. Neil Giuliano, the organization's president, commented that 'Ford did the right thing here, both for its brand and for its bottom line. Their message ... signals a strong commitment by Ford to fairness, to inclusion, and to a quality relationship with our community.' Giuliano also stated that Ford's action is in line with the LGBT-inclusive thoughts that most Americans harbor.

On Dec. 12, a coalition of community organizations, including GLAAD and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force ( NGLTF ) , met with Ford executives in Washington, D.C., to discuss the LGBT community's concerns about the media reports and request a statement clarifying Ford's policies. Similarly, the coalition released a later statement announcing its satisfaction with the company's decision to stick with gay publications. The coalition hailed the decision as 'an unequivocal reaffirmation of Ford's historic commitment to our community and the core American values of fairness and equality' and called it 'conclusive proof ... that there never was any deal anti-LGBT organizations concerning Ford's support for our community.'

Matt Foreman, NGLTF's executive director, also weighed in on the automaker's latest move. "We applaud Ford Motor for taking such a firm stand on behalf of our

community,' he said.