Barilla Pasta Hot Water Over Company Print's Anti-Gay Comments

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 * barilla gay comments *

His ment about advertisg was rponse to a direct qutn about whether he would ever feature a gay fay his pany's mercials.

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

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 comments *

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. 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.

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

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

“I would never do a mercial wh a homosexual fay, not for lack of rpect, but bee we don’t agree wh them, ” Barilla said on Italy’s bt-known rad talk show. The chairman, who turned 60 last year and has five children, further clarified that he opposed adoptn by gay parents. 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. Acrdg to the Bloomberg report, Barilla’s revenue was better 2013, the year of the homophobic ment, than 2012.

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.

BARILLA EXEC APOLOGIZ FOR REMARKS ON GAYS

* barilla gay comments *

AP file/Bernd KammererGuido BarillaThe print of Barilla is apologizg after disparagg remarks he ma about gay fai led to swift lls for a boytt of the pasta Barilla told an Italian rad statn that he wouldn't nsir g a gay fay to advertise the pany's pasta, sayg that "the ncept of the sacred fay remas one of the basic valu of the pany. " While he said that he had rpect for gay people, he went on to say that gay nsumers who disagreed wh his msage were wele to enjoy a different brand of pasta. The executive quickly issued a clarifitn of his ments, wrg on the Barilla rporate webse that he had "utmost rpect" for gay people and their marriag and that he apologized if "[his] words have generated ntroversy or misunrstandg, or if they hurt someone's sensivy.

As the wds of polil change has shifted favor of gay rights and same-sex marriage, many brands and pani have led up to affirm their support for the LGBT muny. The one pany to buck the trend, Chick-fil-A, was the subject of a ser backlash when s print, Dan Cathy, affirmed his pany's opposn to gay fast-food cha has more or ls weathered that storm, largely on the strength of brand loyalty to s tasty chicken sandwich, and support om the mographic that agre wh Cathy's polics.

BARILLA PRINT APOLOGIZ AGA FOR ANTI-GAY REMARKS

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

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

BARILLA UNR PRSURE AFTER EXEC'S GAY REMARKS

* Barilla says he would not feature gay fay mercial * barilla gay comments *

If gays "like our pasta and our advertisg, they'll eat our pasta, if they don't like then they will not eat and they will eat another brand, " he said.

Aurel Manco, head of gay rights group Equaly Italia, said Barilla's ments were an "offensive provotn" and lled for a boytt of the pany's pasta, sc and snacks.

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. Alsandro Zan, an openly gay member of Italy's parliament tweeted, "You n't ms around wh nsumers, cludg gay on.

PASTA MAKER BARILLA UNR FIRE FOR ANTI-GAY MENTS

Guido Barilla ma some ntroversial ments about gays advertisg, the LGBT muny fired back * barilla gay comments *

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.

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

-based Human Rights Campaign’s rporate equaly x, which rat pani’ polici relatg to lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr employe. 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.

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

"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. "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.

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

"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.

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.

UPDATE 1-ITALIAN PASTA KG PUTS PANY HOT WATER WH ANTI-GAY MENT

Guido Barilla says he has%27utmost rpect%27 for gays and%27for all lovg marriag and fai%27%27We accept his vatn to not eat his pasta%2C%27 gay rights group saysEpiso rells Chick-fil-A ntroversyConsumer prsure on pasta producer Barilla rose Friday after the print of the Italy-based food giant sparked a boytt of the firm by mentg that he would not show gay fai pany ads. "I would never make a spot wh a homosexual fay, " Guido Barilla said on the Italy rad program La Zanzara (The Mosquo), acrdg to Italian news agency ANSA.

"Sayg he has "the utmost rpect" for gay people and "for all lovg marriag and fai, " Barila nclud "to all iends, fay, employe and partners that I have hurt or offend, I am eply sorry. "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 ntroversy quickly spread ternatnally via Twter, where the hashtags #boittabarilla and #boyttbarilla prompted numero tweets.

BERTOLLI MAK THE MOST OF BARILLA CHAIRMAN'S ANTI-GAY COMMENTS

Playg off an ad that said "wh a bowl of pasta hand, life is good, " @ReignofApril tweeted, "Unls you're gay, amire? ""I prefer my pasta bigotry-ee and served wh a nice Caber, " tweeted 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.

" Related: Bars worldwi boytt Rsian vodka Barilla issued a statement on Thursday, tled "Guido Barilla's Clarifitn on gays, " apologizg for the remarks. "The sultg anti-gay ments will not only lead to LGBT people skippg Barilla, but their fay members, iends and workers as well, " said a spokman for gay rights group GLAAD.

Bars around the world have stopped servg Rsian vodka prott of the untry's anti-gay laws, and ctomers boytted Chic-fil-A after s CEO exprsed his opposn to same-sex marriage.

Pasta maker Barilla unr fire for anti-gay ments

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

BARILLA GO OM WORST TO FIRST ON GAY RIGHTS