"gay rights" news and stories

The 'Hubby Hubby.' Photo: Ben & Jerry's

Same-sex marriage is legal in Vermont as of today and to celebrate, Ben & Jerry's has renamed its Chubby Hubby ice cream flavor "Hubby Hubby" for the month.

In April, the Green State became the fourth in the nation to allow gays and lesbians to marry.

"From the very beginning of our 30 year history, we have supported equal rights for all people," Walt Freese, Ben & Jerry's CEO, said in a statement. "The legalization of marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont is certainly a step in the right direction and something worth celebrating with peace, love and plenty of ice cream."

Recently, the AFA (American Family Association) launched a site announcing that it will boycott McDonald's for not remaining neutral on "culture wars," particularly the corporation's promotion of a homosexual agenda. The web site shows a television commercial from last year's San Francisco Gay Pride in which McDonald's announces its commitment of support to the gay and lesbian community.

But, just how gay-friendly is McDonald's?
Besides airing that commercial, just this past March, Vice President of Communications Richard Ellis joined the Board of Directors of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). To me, it doesn't seem as though McDonald's has a "gay agenda." Instead, it appears that the company is part of an overall corporate trend: diversity in the work place.

Apparently, the AFA was set off by a simple letter written by Pat Harris, the Global Chief Diversity Officer, in which he states the corporation's respect for employees "regardless of their ethnicity, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation." In doing so, McDonald's has simply reiterated an all-inclusive policy that is more or less standard with most big companies, including The Walt Disney Company, Goldman Sachs and Coca-Cola. There is nothing particularly revolutionary about McDonald's stance -- it's certainly not the latest shot in some kind of "culture war."

Maybe the folks from the AFA have been eating too many Big Macs. It'll probably do them so good to lay off the meat. (Last thing we want is for them to use the junk-food defense to get away with any shenanigans.)