Gullible in Detroit: AmericaBlog is leading the fight against Ford Motor Co.’s decision to stop advertising to gays and lesbians because of pressure from the ultra-crazy American Family Association (AFA) and other fundamentalist extremists. Now they have uncovered evidence that the AFA based its case against gays on psuedo-scientific data created by an organization listed as a “hate group” by the Southern Law and Poverty Center (SLPC).
-AFA, citing fake data on longevity of gay people
What is worse than the AFA using such shoddy, discredited propaganda is the fact that executives at Ford were either complicit with the AFA, or they were incredibly gullible and naive (which might explain the downward slide of American auto manufacturing over the past 30 years).
Readers of AmericaBlog found an action alert about homosexuality from the AFA that was based on false data developed by Paul Cameron, head of the hate group, the Family Research Institute. Now the question is, did Ford use the AFA data – which the SLPC says “echoes Nazi Germany” – in its use the fake data to influence decision to pull its advertising from gay magazines and events:
1. FORD MUST COME CLEAN ABOUT NAZI-ESQUE SCIENCE
We now know the AFA used Nazi-esque “science” in 2002 to try influence Ford, and may very well have used that Nazi-esque science in its ongoing communications with Ford this year. Ford must immediately come clean as to whether any Nazi-esque anti-gay science was discussed in any of its secret meetings, phone calls and communications with the AFA. And more importantly, Ford must immediately disclose whether its decision to drop the gay ads and events was in any way based on its consideration of this hate group’s science that “echoes Nazi Germany.”
Specifically, the AFA is using Paul Cameron’s fake “study” in which he determines that gay men die by the age of 40. I’m serious. (Cameron simply read the obituaries of gay men in gay publications in 1993, then averaged the age of death – really.) The AFA literally cited the results of this study in their action alert – I’ve been following Cameron’s “research” and the religious right’s use of him for the past 13 years.
2. CAMERON SAYS GAYS DIE BY THE AGE OF 40
Here Cameron explains his own study on his Web site:
These events, coupled with various STDs (especially AIDS) gotten from other gays, resulted in a median age of death of 40 among gays and a median age of death of 45 among lesbians…
3. AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION CITES HATE GROUP SCIENCE
Now read the American Family Association alert about Ford where they quote as truth Cameron’s “Nazi Germany”-esque science in the last paragraph:
Action Alert – 05/14/02
Ford Motor Company values homosexuality
Join OneMillionMoms.com and OneMillionDads.com in sending an email to Ford Motor Company.
email this page to a friendE-mail this page to a friend
May 14, 2002Dear Friend,
I want to thank the thousands of you who already joined our new campaign to clean up network television – ONEMILLIONMOMS.COM and ONEMILLIONDADS.COM
OneMillionMoms.com and OneMillionDads.com is quickly becomming a powerful tool to protect our children.
I am contacting you today to ask for your help. Ford Motor Company, a leading sponsor of NBC’s Will & Grace, has responded in this manner to those who asked the auto company to stop sponsoring the program which promotes homosexuality:
Thank you for your recent e-mail. We appreciate your input regarding our advertising.
Ford Motor Company is a global company of significant size which values the diversity of its customers and employees worldwide; including different races, genders, generations, cultures, physical abilities and sexual orientation.
We believe one of the most effective ways to connect with customers and generate mass awareness of our products is through television advertising. We treat our purchase of commercial time in Will & Grace as we do any other prime time, mainstream television program. By buying commercial time on top-rated shows like Will & Grace, we are not making judgment on the specific content of the show but simply making an optimized attempt to reach our many customers through award-winning television programming.
Sincerely,
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship CenterIt is tragic that Ford “values” a lifestyle which is harmful to so many, and leads to an early death. The average lifetime for a practicing homosexual is in the lower 40’s. Ford equates homosexual relationships with marriage
4. FORD MUST COME CLEAN ABOUT NAZI-ESQUE SCIENCE
Ford Motor Company must come clean. Was Nazi-esque science discussed in any communications Ford had with the American Family Association? Did Ford use the “research” of known hate groups, groups akin to the Klan and the neo-Nazis, in making its determination to no longer support the gay community as it has for years?
Ford must immediately repudiate the American Family Association’s use of hate groups to further their anti-gay agenda in this campaign, and Ford must disclose what it knew about the use of this Nazi-esque science and when it knew it.
5. CONTACT FORD, DEMAND ANSWERS ABOUT NAZI-ESQUE SCIENCE
Use the contacts [HERE] to call and email Ford and demand answers about this troubling connection to hate groups. This hate group is just as bad as the Klan and neo-Nazis, they are in the same category according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Would Ford have secret meetings with groups who promote Klan literature about blacks and Jews?
LOL — john at americablog is just promoting himself and encouraging people that don’t drive fords and wouldn’t buy one anyways to harrass them.
Go to that site and read the old threads — the idea of “action” there is nonexistant except for a very narrow agenda. Read the threads, though you will see that he deletes large numbers of posts.
We could stop all of this if we actually went after the financiers of the ENTIRE repug/neocon/chimpy agenda — boycott firms like walmart, target, citgo, applebees, home depot, and a host of others.
Everything we need is a http://www.buyblue.org
Being obnoxious and pretending to lead a faux boycott of an automaker that is teetering towards bancrupsy will solve nothing.
Boycotting the other major supporters of this agenda could accomplish EVERYTHING – but john is to wrapped up in his own self-importance to touch that one and deletes any post that talks about meaningful action.
Make a fashion statement, buy a t-shirt, donate money, buy and ad….
ALL BLOG NO ACTION!