Barilla, one of the world’s largest pasta makers is facing a boycott today after its Chairman, Guido Barilla, said it would never use a gay couple in any of its adverts.
The company which was founded in 1827 and reportedly made €3.9b in revenues in 2010 has come under fire today after its chairman Guido Barilla, gave an interview to La Zanzara Radio24.
He was answering a question regarding the lack of gay families in the company’s advertising. He suggested that gay couples would never been used saying,
‘ Our family is a traditional family,’ he added that he,
‘wouldn’t do an ad with a homosexual family not because I disrespect gays – they have their right to do whatever they want without disturbing others – but because I don’t think like them and I think that the family we try to address is anyway a classic family’.
Barilla then went on to suggest that if gay people didn’t like the company’s value, they could ‘eat another brand’.
The BBC are reporting that the gay rights group Equality Italia have called Barilla’s comments ‘offensive provocation’ adding,
‘We accept the invitation from the Barilla owner to not eat his pasta’.
To read the full translation click here
Aurelio Mancuso of Equality Italia urged for a boycott of the company’s pasta, sauces and other snacks.
On Thursday the company’s press department released a statement called: ‘Guido Barilla’s Clarification on gays’.
The statement reads,
‘With reference to remarks made yesterday to an Italian radio program, I apologize if my words have generated controversy or misunderstanding, or if they hurt someone’s sensitivity’.
‘Boycott Barilla’ became a trending topic around the world yesterday as thousands of users took to Twitter to complain about Barilla’s comments.
One Twitter user wrote @RonGunzburger wrote,
‘Count me in for the #boycottbarilla! Lots of pasta brands out there. I don’t need to buy from an anti-gay bigot.’
None of the UK’s big four supermarket’s stock Barilla’s pasta.
