by: 
Leah627
Leah627Monday, July 6, 2009 at 3:07:00 PM EDT
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Yup, you saw right: Pepsi Co. sponsored last week’s New York City LGBT Pride Parade pride parade, much to the chagrin of the American Family Association (AFA). In fact, the American Family Association is so annoyed with Pepsi Co. for “its support of the gay agenda” that it is organizing a “Boycott Pepsi Pledge” that includes all PepsiCo products: Pepsi soft drinks, Frito-Lay chips and snacks, Quaker Oats, Tropicana, and Gatorade. Or should we say Gay-torade?
The recent article in the AFA Journal seethed with frustration toward PepsiCo and the apparent failure of the boycott to date. It lamented that PepsiCo “continues to be out in front about its support of the homosexual agenda, ignoring the concerns of pro-family groups who have asked the company to remain neutral in the culture war.” AFA President Tim Wildmon complained, perhaps astutely, “Pepsi seems intent on irritating as many pro-family folks as possible.” Pepsi certainly doesn’t seem to care much about frustrating its homophobic client base. It placed a full page ad in the June/July issue of Out magazine, a popular gay fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine (or as the AFA journal describes it, “a semi-pornographic homosexual magazine . . . filled with page after page of nude and semi-nude photographs of men in suggestive positions). In another kick in the face to the anti-gay movement, Pepsi has also become a member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, an organization that advocates for same-sex marriage, non-discrimination, and hate crimes legislation. Go Pepsi!
I’m not a big soft drink consumer myself, and like most Oregon-bred organic/hippy types I try to avoid sugary and fatty snacks. I also am generally not one to endorse big multinational corporations. That said, we all have cravings once in a while. So when you want some name-brand crunch or fizz in your life, buy PepsiCo products. Here are some ideas: Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Tropicana juices, Naked juices and smoothies (hey, those are healthy, and the product name might irritate some AFA members), Quaker Chewy bars, Life cereal, Cap’n Crunch, Quaker oatmeal, Doritos, Lays, Gatorade, Propel water…the list goes on.
Express your support for PepsiCo with your words as well as with your wallet. Below is the contact information for Pepsi, which was also published in the July issue of the American Family Association Journal. Let’s not let the self-proclaimed “pro-family folks” pressure Pepsi into rescinding its support for civil rights.
Tell Pepsi to continue its support for LGBT organizations, media, and advocacy by writing or calling:
Ms. Indra K. Nooyi, Chairman
PepsiCo Inc.
700 Anderson Hill Rd.
Purchase, NY 10577-1444
Phone: 014-253-2000 or 800-433-2652
Get email updates and action alerts:
by eriauna_stratton
Thanks for writing about this! :-)
OL
I didn't eat McDonalds for 10 years, then started eating there after AFA started boycotting them (because one of their board members did volunteer work for disadvantaged gay youth... how horrible). 20 pounds and a double cheesburger addiction later, I'm kind of regretting that, to be honest. Why can't they boycott healthy companies!
Pepsi products are the only products available at my school
so I'm a pretty happy camper knowing my money supports
companies that support me
The Right Wing Is Going To Starve
It's Official: PepsiCo Is Going Down
They've been at it for months and they've pretty much gotten nowhere with Pepsi.