Coca-Cola to LGBT: Fuck You.

[Pab Sungenis]

Translation into plain English: "We still want your money, so we can keep giving it to people who want to kill you and everyone like you."

Emphasis mine.

Thank you for contacting The Coca-Cola Company, Mr. Sungenis. We appreciate the opportunity to respond.

As one of the world’s most inclusive brands, we value and celebrate diversity. We have long been a strong supporter of the LGBT community and have advocated for inclusion and diversity through both our policies and practices. We do not condone human rights abuses, intolerance or discrimination of any kind anywhere in the world.

As a sponsor since 1928, we believe the Olympic Games are a force for good that unite people through a common interest in sports, and we have seen firsthand the positive impact and long-lasting legacy they leave on every community that has been a host.
We support the ideals of the Olympics and are proud to continue our role in helping to make the Olympics a memorable experience for athletes, fans and communities all around the world.

We hope this information is helpful and encourage you to contact us again should you have additional comments or questions.

[Hayabusa]

1. More a case of

"We like you and support you, but we like and support us getting money more."

[NYC_SKP]

2. I'm glad you wrote to them but did you really expect a different reply?

They're a 48 billion dollar revenue global corporation, they don't give a fuck and aren't going to change their sponsorship policy over one, one thousand, or even ten-thousand letters.

Even a multi-city march wouldn't evoke more than a similar wishy washy response, the translation of which would be the same: fuck you.

Fuckers.

[jakeXT]

3. Since 1928 includes 1936

[Sequoia]

14. Salvation Army, Coca Cola...what next...Kellogs?

[TeamPooka]

4. hyperbolic response at best. Yours not theirs. nt

[NightWatcher]

5. They didn't pull out of the Olympics for you, so therefore they hate LGBT?

Did you address every other sponsor and athlete who is participating?

[Pab Sungenis]

6. Every other sponsor, yes.

Especially those I've severed my business relations with. I've cut up my VISA cards, stopped going to McDonald's, will shun GE for appliances and light bulbs, taking my car insurance away from Liberty Mutual, and so on.

They may not hate LGBT, but they are funding an oppressive regime that is out to destroy LGBT.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

13. Where do you get your petrol from?

My understanding is that a great deal of petrol comes from countries that make Russia look like a haven of LGB rights.

[LittleBlue]

7. You wrote them an email demanding they drop the Olympics?

Did you expect them to actually do it?

[Pab Sungenis]

8. I didn't expect them to do it

but I expected a little better than a lie out of both sides of their mouth. Silence would have been better.

[johnnypneumatic]

9. Boycott the 2014 Hate-O-Lympics

The IOC's effective policy:
'We will do business with any totalitarian regime as long as there is a profit in it for us. This is a proud tradition since the 1936 Nazi Olympic games.' the persecution of LGBT people, or any other group, is 'not our problem'.

These sponsors condone the torture and murder of gay Russian children:
Coca-cola
Atos
Dow
GE
Mcdonalds
Omega
Panasonic
Procter and Gamble
Samsung
Visa
and don't forget NBC
http://www.olympic.org/sponsors

Hate is corporate policy until it starts costing big bucks. Ignore hate, and it won't go away.
SOCHI HATE

[cali]

10. Are you also condemning all the athletes, including GLBT athletes

who want to compete in these games?

[cleanhippie]

11. I won't, but the athletes DO have a choice to boycott. The IOC also should be taking action.

To me, the IOC is responsible for this. If a host country is choosing to be on the wrong side of history when it comes to equality, the IOC has a responsibility to change the venue. But the Olympics are now a corporate enterprise, and corporations don't give a shit about equality.

[Zorra]

12. +1 nt

[hrmjustin]

15. Money counts to them first. I will not be watching the Olympics.

[closeupready]

16. Um, I'm not sure about this - they are very GLBT-friendly, from

what I've seen here on DU over the last five years or so. I'd reserve judgment, personally.

It seems like what they are saying is, Russian homophobia is inconsistent with Olympic ideals, and in supporting the Olympics, we are helping to combat homophobia in a more global sense. I get that not everyone buys that argument, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.