Barilla Pasta Launches Massive Damage Control Effort To Be More LGBT-Inclusive

[trumad]

Don't fuck with teh gays.

Back in September, the chairman of Barilla Pasta, Guido Barilla, criticized same-sex adoption, asserting that the Italian company would never feature gay couples in their ads, and if gay people don’t like it, they can eat someone else’s pasta. Barilla followed that up with a non-apology, admitting at least that he has “a lot to learn about the lively debate concerning the evolution of the family.”

It seems the company is now following through on its learning, announcing this week that it is taking several big steps to be more inclusive.
Among the changes is the creation of a Diversity & Inclusion Board that will include external experts and advocates who help Barilla improve the company’s culture with regard to “sexual orientation, gender balance, disability rights, and multicultural and intergenerational issues.” Among those who have joined that board is veteran LGBT activist David Mixner, who said he was impressed by the chairman’s willingness “to listen and learn from LGBT community leaders.”

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/11/04/2883191/barilla-pasta-launches-massive-damage-control-effort-lgbt-inclusive/

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

1. Nah. Too late.

My wife and I are having fun trying out different pasta makers other than Barilla.. we've chosen a little more pricey pasta but it has all the great flavors.. I have to ask her what company it is from....

[brucefan]

2. Sales

Must be down

[Arugula Latte]

3. Hope so. A lot of people probably switched to pro-gay Bertolli.

[TeamPooka]

8. I did. Used to buy a lot of Barilla but none since all this.

[bluestate10]

14. So did I. I won't be buying any Barilla products again. I used to not only buy

the company's spaghetti products, but it's sauces also. I buy other brands now and will continue to buy other brands. I thank the poster just before your post for the Bertolli graphic, I'm going to buy only that company's products now.

[closeupready]

17. Aww, how cute. :-)

[ChisolmTrailDem]

4. Oh, so let me see if I have this right...

You say some stupid shit that reflects your stupid attitudes and when your bottom line takes a huge hit you suddenly see the light and mend your ways?

Not buying it. Too late.

[trumad]

6. Yep.......

and who says boycotts don't work?

[Brother Buzz]

5. That's the ticket, close the barn door after the horse has bolted

[Le Taz Hot]

7. Too late.

The damage is done. You don't get a "do over" on abject bigotry in the 21st century.

[City Lights]

9. Sorry, Barilla, too late.

No more Barilla for me.

[alsame]

10. Last week at the supermarket, Barilla pasta

was 3/$1.00...it used to be $1.49 per box

[LeftofObama]

11. I just passed up Barilla pasta on Saturday that was on sale in the supermarket where I shop.

I think it was one of those 10 for $10 deals. Anyhow, I paid a few cents more for one of their competitors.

[mitchtv]

12. at least three supermarkets I visit had substantial sales

on the product.I tried something new

[bluestate10]

13. The actions are useless unless they are driven to the very lowest levels

of the company. When companies hold line managers responsible for insuring fairness in the workplace and those companies put in place mechanisms for verifying compliance by all managers, then I think racism, sexism, anti-Gay actions and age discrimination will be on their way to the deep cold graves they, and the people that utilize them in the workplace, deserve.

Barilla is doing the classic corporate song and dance. Put in place some well paid member of an oppressed group who knows NOTHING about company operations, then put out a non-ending string of press releases before announcing the problem "cured". Discrimination in the workplace is a constant scourge that requires constant vigilance and robust systems for detecting it and eliminating the people responsible for it and those that did nothing to correct it from the company.

[closeupready]

16. It's a start. That's all it is. Still not buying. Need to see an ad.

With a gay couple. Then I'll think about it.