Update on Ford

A good friend reminded me that I probably should update the goings on concerning Ford and ads in gay publications. Last week, Ford reversed it's earlier decision to drop advertising in gay publications. You can read about it here. After a meeting with several gay rights organizations, including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Human Rights Campaign, Ford decided to not only advertise it's Jaguar and Land Rover brands in gay publications, but all of its brands. You can read Ford's statement by going

here.

This was a good decision by Ford. As I said earlier, in a time when the Blue Oval is fighting for its survival, it needs all the potential customers it can get. Kudos to Ford for reaffirming its commitment to tolerance and fairness.

Note:I made a mistake in the previous post about Ford. I said that Ford was dropping advertising in gay publications, save Jaguar and Land Rover. That was incorrect. In reality, Ford did not advertise it's entry and mid level brands in gay publications, but did market it's higher level brands like Volvo and the two formentioned. Ford's statement last week indicated that now all Ford brands will advertise in gay publications. Sorry for the mistake.

Have You Driven a Ford Lately? Maybe You Shouldn't

Unless you've been living in a cage, you know that the American auto industry is in a bad fix. While Chrysler is doing well with the help of it's German friends, Ford and GM are struggling. A lot of this is self imposed, with both companies placing too many eggs in the Truck/SUV market and not enough in cars. Both companies need to start making good cars and getting people to buy them. And they can't afford to be choosy about who buys them, they just need a lot of green coming in.

So, I'm a little perplex about Ford reaching an agreement with American Family Association. My friend Randy Stern reports that Ford will pull advertising from gay media such as the Advocate (high-end brands like Volvo and Jaguar are exempted) and in exchange, the American Family Association won't boycott the automaker.

Hmmm...last I checked, there isn't a big market of Christian bigots chomping at the bit to buy Fords. There is however a large GLBT market that is willing to buy cars and this silly move by Ford will only give them more impetus to by a Toyota or Honda over a Ford.

Ford really isn't in a position to be dissing an important market that could save it's behind. I doubt that the American Family Association is going to start steering their people Ford's now that they aren't advertising in those nasty gay publications.

A few years ago, the Steven Spielberg movie Schindler's List, the movie about the Holocaust made it's network debut. Ford bought up all the advertising for the broadcast so that it could run nearly uninterrupted. It was a bold symbolic move for the automaker, because it's founder Henry Ford was a known anti-semite. In it's own way it was trying to make up for the past.

I applauded Ford then. I condemn them now for bowing to the modern day version of anti-semites who treat gay people like vermin all in the name of Jesus.

If Ford decides to do this, then they deserve to go out of business. I know that this gay man won't buy a Ford and I will urge others to do so.

On "Vacation"

I wanted to write something so that people know I'm still around. Since I was let go of my job on Veteran's Day, I've been taking a sort of vacation from blogging. I've been using most of the time to of course look for work, do some PR work arts group, do work for the church I'm co-pastor at and spend time with my boyfriend.

In that time, I haven't blogged much, nor have I kept up with other blogs that I used to follow religiously.

And you know what?

I don't miss it.

I don't know what that all means, and no, this is not a post about me giving up blogging to take more walks. (Anyway, it's about 10 degrees outside, so no walks for me.) However, I wonder how important blogging is. I mean, when you are trying to find ways survive, you have to wonder how important it is for people to know your views on Tom Delay.

When I started blogging three years ago, I wanted this to be a place where moderates could gather. I hope it is. But blogging is too much a place where people only hear what they want to hear.

Does blogging really change anything? I dunno. Can moderate bloggers make change? I dunno. I beginning to think what is more important is acutally getting involved in something. I just don't know if blogging is going to spur some movement.

Then there's the need to constantly publish something and to get noticed by other bloggers. I can't speak for others, but I have to admit that I've had that feeling of needing to share something and hoping another blogger would mention it. Looking back, it seems like I was caught up in this need to be noticed, to feel good about me.


I'm not going to stop blogging, but it won't hold the same passion it once did. After losing my job, I've learned that family, friends and in my case the love of a good man are what's important. Blogging about the latest scandal doesn't hold a candle to that.

I will be blogging on a more regular basis at some point (probably when I'm employed again). For now, I'm just going to stay on vacation. Don't worry; you will see a post every now and then. I've got to write "postcards" from vacation.