500,000 to boycott Pepsi over its ‘homosexual advocacy’

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: The Raw Story

A group that advocates "traditional family values" claims it has the signatures of 500,000 people who have pledged to boycott Pepsi over what is says are the company's activities promoting gay rights.

The American Family Association, which boasts "2.5 million online supporters," "asked PepsiCo to be neutral in the culture war and not support the homosexual agenda," it said in a press release Tuesday. "PepsiCo refused. The company continues to give financial support to homosexual organizations."

The AFA launched its boycott campaign in January over PepsiCo's "continued support of same-sex marriage and homosexual advocacy." The group said it had received a "condescending letter" from Pepsi that "refused to address Pepsi's support of the homosexual agenda."

In particular, the AFA decried PepsiCo's donations to groups that funded the effort against California's Proposition 8 last year. The AFA said PepsiCo gave $500,000 to the Human Rights Campaign, which had worked to defeat Proposition 8.

Read more: http://rawstory.com/2009/10/500000-boycott-pepsi/

[Bluzmann57]

1. Sitting here enjoying a Pepsi product right now

And now that I know the so called "American Family Association" is planning a boycott against Pepsi, I will continue to enjoy their products.

[nyy1998]

3. My college is a Pepsi school

In fact our gym is sponsored by them. Definitely pleased to hear this.

[Greybnk48]

4. Me too. Diet Pepsi.

The people threatening to boycott probably drink Coke or Dr. Pepper or sweet tea anyway.

[Bluzmann57]

Pepsi Max

And I enjoy sweet tea as well. But that's beside the point. Quit doing coke years ago. :evilgrin:

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Would that even make a dent in PepsiCo's revenue?

[atreides1]

5. Guess I'll have to Start Drinking Pepsi Again

:D

[supernova]

6. Good on ya, Burpsi Cola!

:D

[Not Me]

7. Diet Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi

My choice of soft drinks.

[undeterred]

117. Me too.

Will it make us gay? Even though its the lite stuff?

[monmouth]

8. Is this one of the more stupid AFA declarations?? I'm going out of

my way now to look for PepsiCo products and buy them. I don't think we need worry about future elections for a few years. Declarations like this make the AFA and other similar groups look like fourth grade...

[CatholicEdHead]

9. I get those AFA alerts all the time

I am on their list to follow their nuttery. Remember, it is Coke country down there, so most boycotting would not buy Pepsi anyways.

I find it amusing that the AFA really gets worked up over this yet ignores all the other social problems and growing poor with the crappy economy. You know where their priorities lie, in other peoples' beds. :crazy: :puke: .

[robo50]

10. Perhaps someone can list what else Pepsi owns or produces: like Topicana, Quaker Oats..

I'm making a shopping list, and thinking of going out to get a pizza.

Tropicana juices.

Gatorade

"PepsiCo owns 5 different billion-dollar brands. These are Pepsi, Tropicana, Frito-Lay, Quaker, and Gatorade. The company owns many other brands as well."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PepsiCo#PepsiCo_brands

"PepsiCo also has formed partnerships with several brands it does not own, in order to distribute these or market them with its own brands.
Frappuccino
Starbucks DoubleShot
Starbucks Iced Coffee
Mandarin (license)
D&G (license)
Lipton Brisk
Lipton Original Iced Tea
Lipton Iced Tea
Ben & Jerry's Milkshakes
Dole juices & juice drinks (license)
Sunny Delight (produced by PepsiCo for Procter & Gamble)"

I thought they owned a stake in Pizza Hut, and other food outlets, too, but not these days.

"PepsiCo owned a number of restaurant chains until it exited that business in 1997, selling some, and spinning off others into a new company Tricon Global Restaurants, now known as Yum! Brands, Inc.. PepsiCo also previously owned several other brands that it later sold."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=102&topic_id=4092490&mesg_id=4092490

[BeyondGeography]

34. Thank you...Tropicana, here I come

Can't deal with the core product, but happy to make today's OJ purchase my daily middle finger to the right wing.

[WestSeattle2]

90. Same here....sugared drinks of any kind are bad news, but I'll

buy all the Tropicana OJ my grocery budget can afford!

[No Elephants]

44. Guess I'l have to take one for the team. Ben & Jerry Milkshakes, it is!

I didn't even know Ben & Jerry made milk shakes.

Oh, Ben & Jerry, you fiends! Wasn't my addiction to Chunky Monkey enough for you?

[DireStrike]

72. Under frito-lay, almost anything that ends in -itos

LAY'S
DORITOS
TOSTITOS
CHEETOS
FRITOS
SUNCHIPS

[Lerkfish]

11. some people need to be whacked up the side of the head a few times to recalibrate.

there is no "homosexual agenda" the people with the agenda was the group PRO prop 8.

[Posteritatis]

12. That's gotta be what, a tenth of a percent of their customer base?

What a stunning blow!

[sui generis]

13. ooooooh they're so scared. Lard asses never stick to boycotts.

I give you the Disney boycott as a prime example. Oh, no doubt they signed but they're too god damn lazy to ever change brands. They ARE conservative after all and change is verrrrry scaaary. They'll give it lip service, and I for one intend to buy Pepsi for the first time in years.

Whiskey & Pepsi - I'll give it a whirl.

[Missy Vixen]

106. I'm a "lard ass", and I stick to boycotts

Thanks for the gross generalization. It certainly wouldn't be a day at DU without one, would it?

:eyes:

[sui generis]

112. You are so frikking silly

Missy, I'm referring to the lazy ass bible beaters who boycotted disney over Gay Day. If you're one of those, please self-identify.

If you just want to play victim I'll be happy to make your day. By the way, there is NO comparison between the kind of principle it takes on our side to boycott something because it's unfair or hurtful to humans, and the kind of lack of principle it takes to sign a boycott against the very existence of evil gays and then go to disneyland with your brats anyway.

You're a bit out of line trying to associate yourself with that. And if the lard ass comment hurts on behalf of overweight people everywhere, walk it off, literally.

It's not a condemnation of your identity, and wasn't meant that way, so I'm not apologizing.

[Missy Vixen]

113. Of course you're not apologizing

It's much better to get in yet another gratuitous slam on the fat, isn't it?

>And if the lard ass comment hurts on behalf of overweight people everywhere, walk it off, literally.<

So, let me see here: You're making a statement against bigotry by making a bigoted statement about someone else.

Congratulations! You win!

;-)

[sui generis]

114. we aren't fighting.

I'm not a bigot, and I thought you put me on ignore.

You are however a professional victim, having made this ALL ABOUT YOU.

Please accept my :eyes: on behalf of everyone reading this.

What was the topic again? What are you schooling me about? Are you physically overweight, or do you identify as fat? Me, I identify as my name, with some physical attributes, socially as an American, who happens to be gay and finally as a decent person.

Even if I had an ass in three zip codes I wouldn't identify as "fat", or a "lard ass". So I'm sorry you feel the need to but I wasn't even talking about you to begin with.

You are the only person who can give you self esteem, not society, not some cranky poster on DU, so don't look to us for it.

[winyanstaz]

14. Don't worry Pepsi...these people that are boycotting you...

probably didn't buy your product in the first place.
There are still millions of Americans who will still buy...and many more will switch to your brand just because you are taking a stand. Thanks in behalf of any people denied equality.....:)

[Lagomorph]

24. I've always preferred coke, so this is not actvism I can support....

with my money by purchasing Pepsi products.

I do wish that the food industry would stay out of politics, though.

It sucks that you can't buy what you want without pissing somebody off.

At the same time, it sucks that we have to carefully vet our purchases because the industry doesn't.

[heliarc]

32. Cmon...

There isn't a pepsi drink that you like? I'm a coke drinker (on occasion)... but I like me a Dr. Pepper ..

And I'm going to have one right now!

[Lagomorph]

65. Nope, CFDC for me.

Pepsi is noticeably sweeter to me.

[AlbertCat]

85. In a blind taste test with Pepsi, Coke and RC Cola...

No one could tell the difference....


Well to be more accurate, the hits and the misses all gave the same results that random guessing would have.

[Lagomorph]

93. I liked RC...

but I don't drink it since they don't sell it around here. Never tried the diet.

Other than that, I can tell diet pepsi from diet coke by the sweetness. Pepsi tastes sweeter to me than coke.

[No Elephants]

46. You are wishing that Pepsi would not support equal rights so you don't have

to be think about anything?

Seriously?

[Lagomorph]

66. I'm saying that Pepsi made their choice...

...to get involved with a controversial issue and even if I support their position, I'm not changing my purchases for political purposes.

So, yes, if I happen to like Coke, then I like Coke. It's not a anti-homosexual political position.

[No Elephants]

68. You said that you wished food companies would stay out of politics. That is

not the same as saying only, "I'm sticking with Coke."

BTW, the Pepsi beverage is by far not the only product with which Pepsico is involved.

[Lagomorph]

88. Wikipedia, Google, they are wonderful things.

And yes, I would like to see all businesses keep their money in their pockets and just charge less for their products. We pay billions of dollars more for food than we need to because of influence peddling. It works both ways, left & right and puts the emphasis on large corporate donations rather than public input or voting.

It's not enough to write your senator or vote, you have to BUY stuff to get heard. Something is damned fishy about the idea that no matter what happens, they get your money.

Food, healthcare, energy & shelter are all things we absolutely need. We've seen what happens when they stray from their core purpose and start getting "artsy" with our money. They eventually lose it or go start a damn war and just raise their prices.

[johnnypneumatic]

92. it's ok

Coke has a better pro-gay record than pepsi

[Lagomorph]

95. LOL!

I'm OK with that. I'm more worried about negative politics than positive. They can both be as pro as they want. I find the boycott offensive. I hate it when perfect strangers get on my ass because I'm eating or drinking something they find offensive for political reasons. My diet might get me publicly stoned in some countries, but I don't want that here.

[Regret My New Name]

104. I don't think anyone is saying non-pepsi drinkers hate gays...

I mostly drink water...

[Libertas1776]

15. Well,

it looks like I am going to have to buy a shitload of Pepsi now. :9

[targetpractice]

16. Pepsi Throwback is really good...

...It's made with real sugar.

[POAS]

48. I like it also but haven't seen it lately here. n/t

[DireStrike]

73. It is, I can't find any more.

Over the summer every time I saw it in the store I'd buy a case... or four. Whether I was there for pepsi or not, whether I would have to carry it on 2 buses, etc....

[targetpractice]

77. Pepsi Throwback was only available for a few months...

It was introduced along with Pepsi Natural (which was supposed to be a permanent product made with natural cane sugar)... But, I've never been able to find that anywhere.

[verges]

89. Throwback was good I wasn't to thrilled with Natural though. nt

[targetpractice]

102. I haven't tasted Natural... I thought the would be similar.

Why don't you like it? I want to find it and try.

I think the best tasting thing on the planet is Coca-Cola from a can... I don't know why, but I LOVE IT!!

[verges]

122. I can't really describe the taste,

I'm just not that good at it. But I didn't like it, and I found it had an aftertaste. The bottles were elegant looking though. I'm really more of a Coke person myself. But I prefer it in a glass bottle. Even though those are getting harder to find, and I really can't drink soda much anymore (really bad for the kidneys!) If you can fint it, try Mexican import Coke or Kosher Coke during Passover. It's closer to pre-1984 original formula! Yummie!

[B3Nut]

116. Pepsi throwback needs to make a comeback

It was good stuff. Mixed with Weller Special Reserve bourbon, it was wonderful....

[AlbertCat]

17. Show me 500,000 boycotters, and I'll show you 600,000 gays who drink Pepsi.

Lame!

[dixiegrrrrl]

41. Good idea....let's post a signature drive in the LBGT group right now!

I will type one up soon as I finish this Pepsi.

[MotorCityMan]

18. I prefer Coke, but looks like I'm swiching to Pepsi

I am sure PepsiCo is SOOO scared....

:scared:

[robo50]

23. No need, just drink Tropicana fruit juices, eat Quaker oats,

lots of ways to support Pepsi's bottom line, even if you like Coke over Pepsi.

[closeupready]

19. I don't believe them.

How many of those signatures are fake?

[foxfeet]

25. Many people named "Pat McGroin" or "I.P. Freely."

[AlbertCat]

86. Many people named "Pat McGroin" or "I.P. Freely."

Are you saying ACORN organized this drive?

[foxfeet]

94. Good thing that ACORN wasn't involved. It would have had more credibility.

[Soylent Brice]

20. The AFA can take a long walk off a short cliff.

[No Elephants]

47. "A long walk off a short pier" is the way I've heard that expression.

[Soylent Brice]

50. i like to hear the screams.

:shrug:

:yoiks:

[No Elephants]

57. Then, you should probably make it a long walk off a tall cliff.

Glub, glub, gl....

[Soylent Brice]

63. or i could just stop butchering old aphorisms.

:shrug:

[No Elephants]

69. What fun would that be, though?

[Soylent Brice]

91. not as fun as butchering them. that's for sure.

[dapper]

21. Time to stock up!

Time to stock up on Pepsi.

[Dogtown]

22. I'll be switching to Pepsi

and I'll email them to tell them so:

http://cr.pepsi.com/usen/pepsiusen.cfm?date=20091006



K&R

[Autumn]

26. I never drink Pepsi,

but I will now.

[ejbr]

74. ditto n/t

[subcomhd]

27. I've boycotted them for years - basically because they make a shitty product.

Even RC is better. Maybe I'll buy a six-pack for guests. Anyone who is condescending to the AFA deserves some support.

[No Elephants]

52. Check out Reply # 10. You may find some Pepsi product you like better than the original.

[subcomhd]

55. geezie-loooezie, can you say corporate merger?

after scanning that list I think everything in my kitchen is by PepsiCO - including my dog.

[No Elephants]

71. A DUer with a corporatist dog? Say it ain't so, Joe!

[AlbertCat]

87. I repeat: In a blind taste test with Pepsi, Coke and RC Cola...

No one could tell the difference....


Well to be more accurate, the hits and the misses all gave the same results that random guessing would have.

[vinylsolution]

28. Corporatists fighting corporations....

... and the irony is completely lost on them.

Their radio show labeled my business 'satanic', and we got more new customers than ever before!

I raise my glass of Pepsi to the AFA. Cheers, nutjobs.


:toast:

[Kurska]

29. Coke is also a friend of the gay community.

What people don't understand is one of the few good things about corporate America, is they can't afford to pass up qualified workers because of their personal lives.

[heliarc]

30. I think I'll have some Dr. Pepper today.

Normally I don't indulge in having a soda all the time... But I'm going to feel better about it when I do... Good work Pepsi.

[tammywammy]

109. Pepsi doesn't make Dr Pepper. n/t

[Omaha Steve]

31. I prefer Coke brewed in Mexico with real sugar, but....

But I will support Pepsi on this. They did come out with a limited Pepsi made with sugar too. Besides that, Coke has a terrible record on human rights around the world.

Way to go Pepsi.

[shadowknows69]

33. God forbid they should boycott it BECAUSE SODA IS BAD FOR YOU.

But Pepsi apparently also causes teh Gay so I guess I understand. How many want to bet about 490,000 of those names are made up? Anyone check for I.P. Freely or Phil McKraken?

[Robb]

35. ...So the other 2 million of their "online supporters" couldn't be bothered?

Riiiiiiight. :D

[No Elephants]

56. Oh, the rest cared, but are probably illiterate.

[sakabatou]

36. More Pepsi for me!

[BR_Parkway]

37. "80% of AFA supporters fail to boycott Pepsi for not trying to enforce their idea of

morality on others"

yeah, we can write headlines too. only 20% of your 'legions' support you? Hell, even Shrub still got 23% after all his failures

[proteus_lives]

38. Good for Pepsi!

I'm drinking diet Pepsi right now.

Coke sucks!

[AndyA]

39. Drank Coke for years, but started drinking Pepsi when I heard of their policies.

Been drinking Pepsi products ever since. I don't like Coke's politics anyway, so this is just one more good reason to support Pepsi. This announcement will make Pepsi the official Gay Drink.

[McCamy Taylor]

40. And this hurts Pepsi how? You can not buy publicity like this. There are

way more folks in this country who support GLT rights.

[No Elephants]

59. Good point. The publicity has to be the envy of all soft drink purveyors. Maybe they will

follow Pepsi's lead!

[The Animator]

42. It actually makes good business sense for Pepsi too.

Choice A) Allow some intolerant old geezers to dictate to you the causes you can and cannot support. And be seen as spineless corporate weasels who will cave on anything to avoid pissing off potential customers in the short term...

or

Choice B) Tell said intolerant old geezers to fuck off, and do what your damn fell feel like. Will generate publicity in it's own right. Generate more sales from gay rights supporters just to spite the AFA in the short term. And as this dying breed marches onward to extinction, Pepsi curries favor with the rising, more tolerant generation. In the long view this is a win win, and when people look back at how divisive this past decade has been, Pepsi can say... we were backing the right horse the whole time.

[onehandle]

43. I wish they hadn't discontinued Pepsi One.

Oh, well...

[newtothegame]

45. hahaha I thought Pepsi was evil because they made money? I have trouble keeping up here. n/t

ed for sp

[No Elephants]

61. I post here a lot. I never read that people who make money are evil for that reason alone. No

wonder you're having trouble keeping up. Yor've been seeing things.

[Raymondum]

49. I will now drink

12 Pepsi products a day. Who's with me?

[No Elephants]

64. Not I. But Reply #10 lists a lot of other Pepsi products. I'm in for Quaker Oatmeal.

[POAS]

51. I'm a "Pepper"!

[Turbineguy]

53. Hmmm......

Don't usually drink pop. May just have to start.

[madrchsod]

54. i can`t live without pepsi......

i`m sure pepsico is really worried.

[uberblonde]

58. Sigh.

I guess I have to stop drinking this refreshing and delightful high-fructose corn syrup caffeinated beverage again!

[Vidar]

60. Good for Pepsi.

[tomm2thumbs]

62. yes, because the Disney boycott was so successful bwahahahahahahah!!!

it just gave them another place to wear their disguises other than the liquor store...

[No Elephants]

67. Pick a product from Reply 10, then let Pepsi know you will be using it in appreciation for

their welcome stand on equal rights for all human beings.

http://www.pepsico.com/Contacts.html

On edit:

If you are a healthy type, I highly recommend Quaker Oats (I use the One Minute version).

If you are willing to eat less healthy now and again, Lays Kettle Cooked Chips are the best potato chips I've ever had.

[crim son]

70. Jackasses.

I hope Pepsi doesn't cave and do something stupid. And FWIW, I'm a Pepsi fan & have always preferred it over Coke. Woo!

[tavalon]

75. BTW, one of those "2.5 million online supporters" is Rude Pundit

That amuses me to no end. Trust me, he gets a ton of mileage out of it.

[Hawaii Hiker]

76. 500,000 signatures my ass - Probably signed by Gary Bauer 500,000 times

didn't that clown run for president in 2000, probably ran out of money before the first Republican primary & generated about 1% support...

I'm a Coke Classic drinker myself, but I will definitely buy some Pepsi products (ie; Slice, Mug Root Beer (think that's a Pepsi product) for secondary drinks to have around...

You rock Pepsi -

:woohoo: :woohoo:

[Stumbler]

78. When will these organizations stop using psychological projection?

Time and again, groups like this AFA claim there's some "homosexual agenda" afoot, That the gays are skulking around our neighborhoods and communities, trying to convince ill-informed citizens to buy into their propaganda, that "it's cool" to accept and tolerate homosexuality.

When will these groups realize they themselves are working "an agenda," skulking around our communities trying to convince ill-informed citizens to buy THEIR propaganda, that "it's cool" to discriminate, alienate, and judge homosexuality, in an attempt to deem it unworthy, unwholesome, or outright evil.

Hypocrisy and psychological projection at it again... for America!

[happygoluckytoyou]

79. yesterday would have ordered a COKE.... but i have no issue SWITCHING.... thanks for the information

[fascisthunter]

80. lol.. ironic, because Pepsi will benefit from this

and their boycott won't make much of a difference.

[santamargarita]

81. Let the bigot assholes drink Coke

:puke:

[LTR]

82. Well, I think I'll pull a Diet Pepsi out of the fridge and celebrate

Nice to see companies who refuse to partake in hate, like Donald Wildmon and those fascist assholes.

[DebbieCDC]

83. I've been a pepsi-holic since my teenage years

Happy they're on the progressive side of this debate.

[nolabear]

84. I know some places where Rum and Pepsi

will be the new drink of choice.

[Hotler]

96. Pepsi over ice in a tall glass. mmmmm! n/t

[Crabby Appleton]

97. I drink diet Mtn Dew - it's a Pepsi product

[Thickasabrick]

118. I especially like the extra caffeine. Don't tell me if it's not really

in there :)

[rasputin1952]

98. I just bought a case of Pepsi...

Rights and Liberties are not based on what some whacko's say they are...Pepsi advocates Human Rights, as do I.

[Love Bug]

99. Guess I'll go buy some Pepsi tomorrow!

[EmeraldCityGrl]

100. Sorry Coke, gonna have to buy Pepsi from now on.

[Kievan Rus]

101. This makes me want to buy Pepsi products

For every customer the American Fascist Association will drive away from Pepsi, they'll drive two towards it.

[harry_pothead]

103. If I didn't hate soda, I'd drink a pepsi for our gay Americans.

[quakerboy]

105. Which is worth about as much as the abstinence pledges these same folk make their kids sign.

I wonder how many of their "50,000" signators are drinking a Pepsi as we speak. Probably not as many as there will be tomorrow morning, seeing as its getting late on the east coast right now.

[tomg]

107. Members of the AFA don't drink Pepsi

anyhow. They prefer Kool Aid

[ZombieHorde]

120. Good one! nt

[and-justice-for-all]

108. Better go buy a case or two...nt

[Mad_Dem_X]

110. Umm...what exactly is "the homosexual agenda"?

I'm straight, and clueless about this. Can someone enlighten me?

[redwitch]

111. great window treatments, for starters.

And then, forcing everyone to buy hair product.

[npk]

115. I guess this was Sean Hannity's big announcement

Well I guess that kills the suspense.

[krabigirl]

119. Wow, I am not a soda drinker, but I will go and buy some Pepsi tomorrow for sure!

[Rex]

121. I find it wonderful that pepsi does that! I hope they triple that every year!

I hope Pepsi spends 500 million dollars on progressive ideas in the future! Traditional Family Values is now known all around the world as Fuck What You Think. They are just haters, bravo Pepsi! I will stop drinking coke and switch to Pepsi, used to like it better anyway.

Hey TFV - fuck off youse clowns, you embarrass the human race. Thanks.