Barilla go om worst to first on gay rights

Chairman Guido Barilla outrage Italy after sayg he would not nsir g a gay fay to advertise his products * barilla gay *

The chairman, who turned 60 last year and has five children, further clarified that he opposed adoptn by gay parents.

The chairman of the Barilla pasta brand once proclaimed he would never e homosexual upl his advertisements. The chairman of the Barilla pasta brand once said he would never e homosexual upl his advertisements. In September 2013, Guido Barilla, the chairman of Barilla Group, one of the world's leadg pasta manufacturers, engenred ntroversy and prompted lls for boytts when durg the urse of an terview wh an Italian rad program, he rpond to a qutn about whether he would ever feature a gay fay his pany's mercials by sayg (as roughly translated to English): "We won't clu gays our ads, bee we like the tradnal fay.

"I would never do (a mercial) wh a homosexual fay, not for lack of rpect but bee we don't agree wh them.

PASTA MAKER BARILLA PLANS "CLIVE" TV ADS AFTER ANTI-GAY REMARKS

* barilla gay *

In the terview, Barilla said he opposed adoptn by gay parents, but was favour of allowg gay marriage, which is not legal Italy.

His ment about advertisg was rponse to a direct qutn about whether he would ever feature a gay fay his pany's mercials. If gays "like our pasta and our advertisg, they'll eat our pasta, if they don't like then they won't eat and they n eat another brand, " he said. "I have no rpect for adoptn by gay fai bee this ncerns a person who is not able to choose, " he said.

Not long ago, pasta-maker Barilla was jt one more major pany that had n afoul of the gay rights movement, a distctn earned last year when s chairman said he would never feature a same-sex uple an ad. But a sign of how toxic has bee for a pany to be viewed as uniendly toward gays, Barilla has ma a dramatic turnaround the space of one year, expandg health benefs for transgenr workers and their fai, ntributg money to gay rights , and featurg a lbian uple on a promotnal Web se. “He was horrified at the nsequenc and his personal beliefs, ” said David Mixner, a veteran gay rights activist and thor who served as a nsultant for Barilla.

BARILLA: ‘GAYS N EAT SOMEONE ELSE’S PASTA’

Italian pasta maker Barilla has reacted to the global storm ed by s chairman's ments that he would never e a gay fay his advertisg by sayg planned to make the pany more diverse and n a more clive TV ad mpaign. * barilla gay *

He said a vio posted to Facebook that he has "always rpected every person I've met, cludg gays and their fai, whout any distctns" and "never discrimated agast anyone.

In 2013, the CEO of Barilla, one of the world’s biggt dried pasta brands, marred an otherwise anodyne terview about the pany’s legacy wh an egreg homophobic ment. “I would never do a mercial wh a homosexual fay, ” Guido Barilla said live on the Italian statn Rad 24, “not for lack of rpect, but bee we don’t agree wh them. But the efforts, mendable as they are, may not have had a huge effect on Barilla’s bottom le — and ’s possible Guido’s homophobic ments didn’t eher.

BARILLA EXEC APOLOGIZ FOR REMARKS ON GAYS

The print of pasta maker Barilla is apologizg for remarks that he would not e a gay fay Barilla ads. * barilla gay *

Acrdg to the Bloomberg report, Barilla’s revenue was better 2013, the year of the homophobic ment, than 2012.

Gay rights activists Italy have lnched a boytt of the world's leadg pasta maker after s chairman said he would only portray the "classic fay" his advertisements and, if people objected to that, they should feel ee to eat a different kd of Barilla, who ntrols the fourth-generatn Barilla Group fay bs wh his two brothers, sparked outrage among activists, nsumers and some policians when he said he would not nsir g a gay fay to advertise Barilla pasta. "I would not do but not out of a lack of rpect for homosexuals who have the right to do what they want whout botherg others … [but] I don't see thgs like they do and I thk the fay that we speak to is a classic fay.

BARILLA PRINT APOLOGIZ AGA FOR ANTI-GAY REMARKS

In what is believed to be the first gay iendly mpaign, a son out over microwaved pasta * barilla gay *

"Asked what effect he thought his attu would have on gay nsumers of pasta, Barilla said: "Well, if they like our pasta and our msage they will eat ; if they don't like and they don't like what we say they will … eat another.

"Barilla rpond by sayg Boldri did not unrstand the advertisg world and women were fundamental to went on to discs gay rights, sayg that he "rpected everyone" and was favour of gay marriage, but agast gay remarks provoked anger among many of the policians who are tryg to pass legislatn agast homophobic untry, on whose polics the Catholic church has long exerted a nservative fluence, lags behd many other European untri on gay rights. Far om movg towards the legalisatn of gay marriage, Italy still do not regnise same-sex civil unns.

Alsandro Zen, an MP for the opposn Left Elogy Freedom party, said: "Here is another example of Italian homophobia. Gay rights groups are boyttg Pasta Barilla after the pany's CEO, Guido Barilla, said Wednday on an Italian rad show, "I would never do an advert wh a homosexual fay.

GAY RIGHTS ADVOT BOYTT BARILLA AFTER PRINT OF PASTA MAKER'S REMARKS

AP file/Bernd KammererGuido Barilla The print of Barilla is apologizg after disparagg remarks he ma about gay fai led to swift lls for a boytt of the pasta brand. Guido Barilla told an Italian rad statn that he * barilla gay *

" Barilla went on to say that his pany's gay ctomers uld go elsewhere if they didn't like his stance.

IN COUNTRY'S FIRST GAY-FRIENDLY AD, SON COM OUT OVER PASTA ITALY

Pasta maker Barilla is hot water after makg anti-gay remarks on an Italian rad program this week. * barilla gay *

Alsandro Zan, an openly gay member of Italy's parliament tweeted, "You n't ms around wh nsumers, cludg gay on. ROME (Rters) - Italian pasta maker Barilla has reacted to the global storm ed by s chairman’s ments that he would never e a gay fay his advertisg by sayg planned to make the pany more diverse and n a more clive TV ad of Barilla pasta are seen the kchen of a rtrant Rome September 27, 2013.

REUTERS/Tony GentileGuido Barilla’s remarks to a rad terviewer September led to lls by gay rights groups to boytt the products of the world’s biggt pasta maker, a pany more than 130 years old based the provcial cy of media quickly spread the ments that gave rise to numero Inter satir, cludg one wily posted on Facebook and Twter showg the tramark blue Barilla pasta box wh the letters “Bigotoni” on rather than “Rigatoni”. Chairman Barilla, the 55-year-old great grandson of the pany’s founr, has sce held at least eight meetgs wh gay anizatns and activists both Italy and the Uned Stat, a market where is untg on for growth outsi s crisis-h home market. “WINDOW DRESSING”The pasta maker plans to troduce an advisory board that clus Amerin gay activist David Mixner to improve “diversy and equaly the pany’s workforce and culture”, acrdg to a statement posted on s webse.

However Carlos Dews, a gay English profsor at Rome’s John Cabot Universy who has boytted Barilla products and urged his Facebook iends to do the same, was said the measur were a step the right directn but was too soon to tell whether they would brg any real change. -based Human Rights Campaign’s rporate equaly x, which rat pani’ polici relatg to lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr employe. Guido Barilla sparked ternatnal outrage when he said he’d never feature a gay uple ads for his firm’s foodstuffs — addg that if homosexuals don’t like , they n buy another brand.

BARILLA PASTA BARON'S ANTI-GAY MENT PROMPTS BOYTT LL

“I would never do [a mercial] wh a homosexual fay, not for lack of rpect, but bee we don’t agree wh them, ” the pany chairman told Italian rad Wednday eveng. “Ours is a classic fay where the woman plays a fundamental role, ” Barilla, 55, said, addg that if gays “like our pasta and our advertisg, they’ll eat our pasta. Anger at the remarks boiled over Thursday, wh gay-rights activists announcg a boytt of the world’s largt pasta maker.

BARILLA PASTA HOT WATER OVER COMPANY PRINT'S ANTI-GAY COMMENTS

He also re-erated his support for gay marriage, which is illegal Italy, although he is agast gay adoptns.

The ntroversy trend on Twter, where Alsandro Zan, a gay member of the Italian parliament, tweeted: “You n’t ms around wh nsumers, cludg gay on. Other ers blasted Barilla multiple languag, labelg the brand “hate pasta” and llg Guido Barilla “horrendoly sexist and homophobic. New ncsn me after boytt lls and petn drivPasta petors e social media advertisg to strs acceptance of all faiLGBT equal rights group lls Barilla%27s new rponse a good first stepBowg to ntug cricism of his ntroversial remarks about gays, Guido Barilla has pledged to meet wh groups "that bt reprent the evolutn of the fay, cludg those who have been offend by my words.

"The ncsn, posted a vio apology on the webse of his fay-owned pasta giant, me as the pany tried to lm the boytt lls and cricism igned last week when Barilla said he would not show gay fai pany ads. "I would never make a spot wh a homosexual fay, " Barilla said Thursday on the Italy rad program La Zanzara (The Mosquo), acrdg to Italian news agency ANSA. "ANSA reported that when the show's hosts noted that gays and lbians eat pasta, Barilla rpond, "That's fe if they like our pasta and our munitn, they n eat them.

PASTA MAKER BARILLA UNR FIRE FOR ANTI-GAY MENTS

"We accept his vatn to not eat his pasta, " said Aurel Manco, print of gay-rights group Equaly Italia, ANSA reported"Here we have another example of homophobia, Italian style, " said Alsandro Zan, an Italian parliament member wh the left-wg SEL party, ANSA furor spread ternatnally via Twter, where the hashtags #boittabarilla and #boyttbarilla prompted numero tweets.

Barilla is homophobic, 's a good day to say DeCec is far better anyway, " tweeted actrs Mia Farrow. "Pasta for all, " proclaimed a siar Buoni ad posted on Dar Fo, the Nobel Prize wner and Italian actor and playwright who once appeared a Barilla ad, issued an open letter askg the executive to rensir his woundg of the lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr muny.

"I thk the public backlash shows that homophobia is bad for bs today bee we're livg a world where LGBT people are rpected and accepted, " said Ferraro. "In a separate gay rights victory, Exxon Mobil said Friday would provi health surance and other worker benefs to married same-sex upl startg Oct. The head of Barilla pasta said he will meet wh gay groups, and that he "has much to learn" about the evolutn of the fay.

BARILLA PASTA BOYTT: CHAIRMAN SAYS GAYS CAN FD ANOTHER BRAND TO EAT, INTER REPLI "WILL DO!"

The head of Barilla pasta issued a new apology and said he will meet wh gay groups, addg he "has much to learn" about the evolutn of the fay. "Through my entire life I have always rpected every person I've met, cludg gays and their fai, whout any distctns, " he said. An onle petn on, started by Lda Ferraro, an Italian-Amerin woman who said her adult son is gay, asks the grocery cha Stop & Shop to pull Barilla om s shelv due to the ments.

If gays didn’t like , he add, they uld eat somethg a sign of how toxic has bee for a pany to be viewed as uniendly toward gays, Barilla has ma a dramatic turnaround the space of one year, expandg health benefs for transgenr workers and their fai, ntributg money to gay rights , and featurg a lbian uple on a promotnal Web se. Barilla has journeyed om gay rights pariah to poster child — on Wednday received a perfect sre om a proment gay rights group that rat pani on their gay-iendls.

It is an about-face that highlights how pani, which typilly shy away om ntroversy, are creasgly beg forced to take sis the cultural battle over gay rights and same-sex marriage — and how cisively pro-gay forc have gaed the upper hoehold-name brands have also found themselv hot water over actns that were perceived to be anti-gay. Chick-fil-A stopped givg to certa anizatns 2012 after earng the ire of gay rights groups that acced the fast-food cha of supportg anti-gay pani were subject to boytts, though there has been a unter effort by socially nservative groups to support and embrace peril for pani is not short-term profs, bee boytts rarely affect revenue directly, said Mary-Hunter McDonnell, a profsor of strategy at Geetown Universy’s McDonough School of Bs.

'I WOULD NEVER E HOMOSEXUAL UPL MY ADVERTS': BARILLA PASTA BOSS'S ANTI-GAY MENTS SPARK BOYTT LL [ITALY]

“Really, boytts are about threateng a pany’s public image and reputatn, ” she said, and a tarnished brand n ultimately hurt the bottom the past, pani had to be reful not to offend groups that opposed homosexualy, said Bob Weck, a rporate crisis nsultant who specializ gay issu. His advice at the time was for the pany to expla to the opposn that this was simply a good bs more recently, opns have shifted dramatilly to the pot that is a posive for some pani to be viewed as supportive of gay rights, particularly among young ctomers, who might view cints such as the one articulated a year ago by Barilla as “stupid and backwards, ” he said. Starbucks, Nike and Microsoft, for stance, endorsed legalizg same-sex marriage Washgton state the se of Barilla — a 130-year-old pany based Parma, Italy, that is the world's largt pasta manufacturer — the blowback was fierce September 2013 when Guido Barilla told an Italian rad host, "I would never do [a mercial] wh a homosexual uple, not for lack of rpect, but bee we don't agree wh them, " acrdg to reports.

Harvard Universy dumped Barilla om s feterias, gay rights groups promoted nam of other brands of pasta, and Barilla's petors seized on the opportuny to prent themselv as more forward-thkg, wh Bertolli Germany postg a ment on s Facebook page promotg "pasta and love for all! “He was horrified at the nsequenc and his personal beliefs, ” said David Mixner, a veteran gay rights activist and thor who served as a nsultant for lled the recent diversy iative “the most all-enpassg effort to bounce back om an unfortunate misstatement that I’ve ever been part of.

”Seth Adam, a spokman for GLAAD, a gay advocy group that has also met wh Barilla, said is important to acknowledge someone when they have unrgone an “evolutn” support of gay rights.

PASTA MAKER BARILLA TRI TO MAKE AMENDS AFTER CHAIRMAN’S ANTI-GAY REMARKS

It has broaned s anti-discrimatn policy to ver gay and transgenr pany also has donated money to the Tyler Clementi Foundatn, an anti-bullyg anizatn found by the parents of a gay Rutgers Universy stunt who mted suici, and featured a lbian uple on a Web se voted to urgg fai to eat more meals will same-sex upl be turng up any televisn mercials? 26, 2013  -- The print of Barilla is apologizg for sayg that he would never e a gay fay the pasta maker's Barilla said an Italian rad terview that his pasta is for the tradnal fay and said gay people uld eat another pasta if they did not like his msage.

"We accept his vatn to not eat his pasta, " said Aurel Manco, print of gay-rights group Equaly Italia, a statement Italian. "Gay marriage is not legal add, "For clary, I would like to pot out that:- I have the utmost rpect for anyone, whout distctn of any kd. Fd, a ozen food pany, produced what is believed to be the first gay-iendly ad the European untry.

The ad ne months after the chairman of Italian pasta maker Barilla me unr fire for sayg that he would never e a gay fay his ads. “It’s a posive step forward when different typ of fai are portrayed ads, as they ronate wh parts of society that are ually margalized, ” said Juris Lavrikovs, the munitns manager of ILGA, Europe’s Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans & Intersex Associatn. ET: Guido Barilla, chairman of the world's leadg pasta manufacturer, prompted lls for a nsumer boytt on Thursday after tellg Italian rad his pany would never e a gay fay s advertisg.

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DID BARILLA PASTA'S CHAIRMAN MAKE ANTI-GAY REMARKS?