The religious anti-gay organization AFA distributed an email today that attempts to justify the organization’s PepsiCo boycott. In the email, AFA complains that PepsiCo has repeatedly refused to donate money to their organization while simultaneously donating over 1 million dollars to various gay organizations that promote sick and scandalous behavior. AFA presented the following gay pride video as evidence of the kind of sick activities PepsiCo is sponsoring:

Ignoring AFA’s crybaby rants for just a moment, I want to address an issue that comes up every year in my very own circle: Are gay pride parades overtly sexual and excessively flamboyant, or does the media choose to focus only on those aspects of the festivities?

Every year I’m pleasantly surprised by the amount of gay pride parade floats sponsored by various churches. It grates my nerves when the local media doesn’t even bother to show those floats on the late night news. Instead, they take quick clips of bikini-clad gyrating men and drag queens wearing brightly colored headgear and present those images to their viewing audience. In a 60-second news segment, those images are offered as a representation of the entire LGBTQ community.

I have a friend who’s a prominent member of the local media. He’s also openly gay. Every year he refuses to attend any gay pride festivities because he’s embarrassed by what he calls “excessive flamboyance.” He believes gay pride parties are nothing more than an excuse for queers to drink too much.

I’ll be the first to admit that gay pride parties are an excuse (a damn good excuse!) to drink a lot, dance a lot, and meet lots of new and interesting people. Don’t all major festivals (gay or straight) provide a great excuse to party?

I wish I could say I walk away from gay pride parties feeling like I’ve made a major contribution to the LGBTQ community, but honestly, I leave with a lot of cheap gay pride jewelry, too many tshirts, a stomach ache because I ate too much, and a sure hangover come first thing in the morning. But damn, the only way I’d miss a good gay pride party is Jesus himself would have to appear in person and forbid my attendance.

Related: ROTC at Gay Pride   |   Jennifer Hudson at NYC 2008 Pride
  |   Seattle Gay Pride 2008   |   Patti LaBelle at South Beach Pride   |   Pride Moms

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The ACLU reports:

Nine months after an employee at a McDonald’s restaurant in downtown Louisville called a group of gay customers a series of anti-gay slurs – and after the ACLU intervened on the victims’ behalf – we’re happy to announce today that McDonald’s has agreed to a cash settlement and diversity training for management at 30 of its Louisville-area restaurants.

Someone in the Kentucky stores didn’t know that this kind of behavior doesn’t fit the McDonald’s culture. McDonald’s has a history of supporting gay and lesbian organizations. Their involvement in the gay community prompted anti-gay religious organization AFA to boycott the organization. In addition to their past involvement in the gay community, McDonald’s provides health care benefits to same-sex couples and they were one of the first Fortune 500 companies to add sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy.

Some areas of the country are more anti-gay than others. Based on McDonald’s long history of supporting gay and lesbian rights, I’m chalking this up to a few redneck employees who didn’t get the diversity training they should’ve received. This training won’t be enough. Employees need to be held accountable for their actions and punishment should be swift and uniform.

I won’t declare McDonald’s an anti-gay zone, but I do expect the organization to keep their rednecks in check.

Hat tip: Womanist-Musings

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