Head of Barilla pasta company: Gays can eat someone else’s pasta

[Swede Atlanta]

161. I responded to this off their corporate site with the following points....

(1) A company spokesman's personal views, when expressed publicly affect not only the spokesman but also any other owners, company leadership and management, customers, distributors, consumers and employees. Even in the context of a privately owned company consideration has to be given to the public expression of personal views and the impact they may have on all the company's stakeholders

(2) The LGBT community is broadly represented among restauranteurs, chefs, restaurant staff, food critics, etc. These individuals will not respond favorably to his comments. Their response may not be helpful to the company's overall interests of being a profitable enterprise

(3) His statement that he cannot support or he even opposes adoption by gay parents because the adopted child has no say is ludicrous. I pointed out that children adopted into the homes of child abusers, pedophiles, alcoholics, fat Italians, etc. have no choice. The question is whether or not a child deserves a loving, supportive home, regardless of the personal characteristics of the parent(s).

(4) I have trashed 2 boxes of Barilla pasta and will boycott. I will not interfere with their business by attaching stickers, etc. to the Barilla shelves at my grocery store but I plan to write a letter both to the store managers of my two local usual grocers, Kroger and Publix as well as to their executive offices

I don't expect a response but I will not be purchasing any more products until, when and if, there is any kind of formal apology AND some form of penance such as sponsoring a deserving LGBT event or project