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General Mills has said it opposes a proposed Minnesota State ban on same-sex marriage, saying that the measure is not in the best interests of its employees or the state economy.
In November, Minnesota voters will be asked to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as being between one man and one woman, effectively banning same-sex marriage in the state.
The company’s CEO Ken Powell stated the company’s position at a General Mills function attended by about 400 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) professionals in Minnesota last Wednesday, followed by a web letter from General Mills’ vice president of global diversity and inclusion Ken Charles.
Charles wrote: “While General Mills doesn’t normally take positions on ballot measures, this is a business issue that impacts our employees.
“…Obviously, there are strongly held views on both sides. We acknowledge those views, including those on religious grounds. We respect and defend the right of others to disagree. But we truly value diversity and inclusion – and that makes our choice clear.”
The group National Organization for Marriage (NOM), which is a key supporter of the Minnesota constitutional amendment, criticized General Mills for its position on the issue, calling it a “war on marriage” and “one of the dumbest corporate PR stunts of all time.”
"It's ludicrous for a big corporation to intentionally inject themselves into a divisive social issue like gay marriage,” NOM president Brian Brown said.
When asked why the company chose to take a position on the issue, General Mills’ vice president of corporate communications Tom Forsythe said in an emailed statement: "For decades, General Mills has worked to create an inclusive culture for our employees. We believe it is important for Minnesota to be viewed as inclusive and welcoming as well. We oppose the proposed constitutional amendment because we do not believe it is in the best interests of our employees or our state economy."
Earlier this year, Starbucks took a similar stand, declaring its support for legislation that would recognize marriage equality for same-sex couples in Washington State. In response, NOM set up a ‘Dump Starbucks’ campaign, which has attracted 44,690 signatures since January.
Meanwhile, a ‘Thank You Starbucks’ campaign has attracted more than 650,000 signatures.
6 comments (Comments are now closed)
GF is Consistent with their Stand against gay marriage
General Foods, like many companies, takes the view that prejudiced regulation of people's personal lives is no different than unecessary regulation of business. I wish more people that share GF's view on business reguation could respect that same philosophy in their views on regulation of gay marriage.
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Posted by Mike
01 August 2012 | 16h30
Whats next
Since when do major corporations take sides on social matters. If your for or against the marriage ban let it be decided by the people of Minnesota, not by the PR firms of companies. Shame on General Mills, keep to what you do best, manufacturing food products.
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Posted by ken
25 June 2012 | 14h46
gay rights
I wonder if the NOM guy would have welcomed the evil corporation's opinion if they had opposed gay marriage. The scent of hypocrisy wafts through the air.
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Posted by Darryl
22 June 2012 | 00h45
General Mills is doing the right thing
It's great to see a company stand up to the people who try to force their religious beliefs on everyone else. The zealots seem to think they can run other peoples lives and take away their rights. Hopefully, more companies will decide to oppose the crack-pot bans that will take away the rights of people to live their own lives and that force them to live by the dictates of the religious bigots.
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Posted by DJ
20 June 2012 | 19h05
Cheerio General Mills
I think I will stop buying Cheerios from now on. Other brands taste exactly the same, but General Mills doesn't want their name used for other products.
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Posted by Mark
19 June 2012 | 19h31
Good job General Mills!
It is wonderful to see a major company take a stand on equality for all Americans.
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Posted by Connie
19 June 2012 | 18h28
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