AFA challenges Old Navy gay pride campaign
Jun 21, 2011 19:17:14 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jun 21, 2011 19:17:14 GMT -5
AFA challenges Old Navy gay pride campaign
Written by Natalie Garnett
June 17, 4:30 PM
OldNavy0617The American Family Association (AFA) last week asked its supporters to challenge Old Navy’s “Love Proudly: Pride 2011” campaign.
The campaign is in conjunction with President Barrack Obama’s 2009 declaration that June is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) pride month. Old Navy sells gay pride T-shirts for men, women, and children in 26 of its stores nationwide, with 10 percent of the profits from the sales going to the “It Gets Better Project,” a campaign that reaches out to homosexual teenagers.
“At Old Navy, we embrace inclusion and diversity,” said Renate Geerlings, a media relations officer for the chain’s parent company Gap Inc. “Our customers and employees are of many different ethnicities, faiths, and lifestyles. This line of T-shirts is one of many examples of a limited edition T-shirt that we carry during certain months of the year.”
In a letter to over 2.6 million supporters, AFA President Tim Wildmon asked them to “let Old Navy President Tim Wyatt know his decision to engage in corporate promotion and financial support of homosexuality is a bad idea.”
According to Monica Cole, the director of AFA’s OneMillionMoms.com project, tens of thousands of AFA supporters have already sent letters.
“We want our voice to be heard and our supporters’ voices to be heard,” Cole said. “[Old Navy] will lose business from Christians and conservatives because of this campaign.” Though she admitted that Old Navy would probably gain many homosexual and pro-gay customers, she added that the clothing chain would likely lose many more long-time customers.
“We have heard from many families that they do not want their money going toward that project,” Cole said. “And they are also not going to be going back into that store.”
The goal of Wildmon’s letter was not only to have supporters petition Old Navy’s president, it also wanted to alert conservative, Christian parents who might purchase the shirts without knowing what they represent. The T-shirts read “Love Proudly: Pride 2011” but do not give any indication of supporting the LGBT campaign, according to Cole.
Cole said that AFA is simply asking Old Navy to “just sell clothes and remain neutral in this cultural war.”
online.worldmag.com/2011/06/17/afa-challenges-old-navy-gay-pride-campaign/
Written by Natalie Garnett
June 17, 4:30 PM
OldNavy0617The American Family Association (AFA) last week asked its supporters to challenge Old Navy’s “Love Proudly: Pride 2011” campaign.
The campaign is in conjunction with President Barrack Obama’s 2009 declaration that June is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) pride month. Old Navy sells gay pride T-shirts for men, women, and children in 26 of its stores nationwide, with 10 percent of the profits from the sales going to the “It Gets Better Project,” a campaign that reaches out to homosexual teenagers.
“At Old Navy, we embrace inclusion and diversity,” said Renate Geerlings, a media relations officer for the chain’s parent company Gap Inc. “Our customers and employees are of many different ethnicities, faiths, and lifestyles. This line of T-shirts is one of many examples of a limited edition T-shirt that we carry during certain months of the year.”
In a letter to over 2.6 million supporters, AFA President Tim Wildmon asked them to “let Old Navy President Tim Wyatt know his decision to engage in corporate promotion and financial support of homosexuality is a bad idea.”
According to Monica Cole, the director of AFA’s OneMillionMoms.com project, tens of thousands of AFA supporters have already sent letters.
“We want our voice to be heard and our supporters’ voices to be heard,” Cole said. “[Old Navy] will lose business from Christians and conservatives because of this campaign.” Though she admitted that Old Navy would probably gain many homosexual and pro-gay customers, she added that the clothing chain would likely lose many more long-time customers.
“We have heard from many families that they do not want their money going toward that project,” Cole said. “And they are also not going to be going back into that store.”
The goal of Wildmon’s letter was not only to have supporters petition Old Navy’s president, it also wanted to alert conservative, Christian parents who might purchase the shirts without knowing what they represent. The T-shirts read “Love Proudly: Pride 2011” but do not give any indication of supporting the LGBT campaign, according to Cole.
Cole said that AFA is simply asking Old Navy to “just sell clothes and remain neutral in this cultural war.”
online.worldmag.com/2011/06/17/afa-challenges-old-navy-gay-pride-campaign/
