@hawkeye10,
Quote:refusing to use pro gay imagry in their ads is not being insensitive to gays
Agreed, but calling them "fags", as you do, is certainly insensitive.
You really don't get what the boycott is all about. It's not about forcing Barilla to use "pro gay imagery in their ads." This whole issue seems way over your head. You just don't understand what the "fags" are making a fuss about do you?
Barilla told them to take their business elsewhere if they don't like his ads. so they are simply taking him at his word. That should be simple enough for even you to understand it. This isn't about forcing Barilla to do anything, it's about showing that people can take their business elsewhere, plain and simple, particularly when a company invites them to do that.
Quote:Live and let live is a pretty good way to boost quality of life...
I agree, as long as we are all afforded the same equal protections and benefits of law, and we do not interfere with how others live their lives and what their options are.
So far, that's not true for the LGBT population, particularly in Italy, they do not have legal equality or benefits.
I must say Guido Barilla's response is much more open-minded than yours. In addition to just offering apologies, he has agreed to meet with representatives of the groups offended by his remarks, and has intimated that his thinking regarding families may be behind the times. He really didn't have to do that. I'd give him some credit for being genuinely upset for offending people, because I don't see any evidence that the man is really anti-gay or homophobic.
I suspect Barilla's thinking about what constitutes a proper and traditional "family" is shared by a majority of Italians, certainly of his generation. And he's said all along that he supports gay marriage, it seems to be gays adopting and raising children that bothers him. But, as recently as about 15 years ago, that was also a prevalent view in the social sciences as well. It's very recently that studies have indicated no real disadvantage to children raised by same-sex parents. So, Barilla might personally benefit from learning more about the entire topic--even if the nature of his company's ads never change. He doesn't have to actively promote gay issues, either privately or through his company's ads, but being better informed might help him to alter his feelings about gays and lesbians raising children, and to refrain from making public statements that help to block the ability of homosexuals to adopt children.
I really think the flap with Barilla will die out quickly. The response in the social media got his attention, and he's willing to try to make amends in some way. An actual boycott may no longer be necessary. He's expressed a willingness to sit down and listen to the other side. That's a respectful response. Personally, that's all I would want from the man.
Attitudes about things as deeply ingrained as "marriage" and "family", and how these are defined, don't change overnight, particularly in a country like Italy, where the Catholic church has a dominant influence. Barilla, in voicing his support of same-sex marriage, is already ahead of many of his compatriots. In time, his views of "family", as well as the role of women, that he wants to promote, may also change. Both Barilla and Italy will catch up to contemporary reality, these things just take time. We're not moving all that quickly in the U.S. toward marriage equality.
You, on the other hand, seem unable to either muster respect for gays, or to even refrain from insulting them. Guido Barilla seems light-years ahead of you.
Let me remind you that, without boycotts and demands, and the application of pressure, we'd still have segregated public transportation and facilities in the South. Boycotts, and the power of the purse, have always been an effective tool to help promote social action and change. I'm just not convinced that Barilla is the right target for this one.
You don't agree with the tactics because you don't support the cause. And that's true when it comes to the "niggers" you refer to as well.