On Friday, Bryan Fischer voiced his disgust that Burger King had sold an LGBT pride themed Whopper at a San Francisco location a few weeks back and announced that the American Family Association was going to be issuing an action alert in response, warning that “if this kind of nonsense” isn’t stopped, it’ll spread across the nation.
“When people sit down to eat a hamburger,” Fischer said, “the last thing they want to be thinking about is two guys having sex”:
Today, the AFA issued that action alert, asking activists to email Burger King and warn that “promoting and encouraging abhorrent behavior will drive families away”:
Burger King recently promoted the “gay pride” message with a rainbow Whopper wrapper at one of its stores. Unless there is some pushback from consumers, there is a real possibility that they could expand this promotion.
During this year’s annual gay pride event in San Francisco, the Burger King location along the parade route sold a “Proud Whopper” with fanfare promotion by the corporate office.
It was the same Whopper as always, but in a rainbow-colored wrapper.
Fernando Machado, Burger King’s Senior Vice President of Global Brand Management defended the company’s promotion, telling USA Today that the “Proud Whopper…showcases who we are as a brand,” adding, “It shows how we, as a brand, believe in self-expression.”
Why you should care
Unless Burger Kings sees a backlash for promoting cross-dressing and homosexual conduct as normal behavior, it will expand the promotion to other cities and additional stores next year.
TAKE ACTION
We have prepared an email that you can send directly to Burger King executives.
In addition, a copy of your email will be sent to the Burger King Franchise Association, reinforcing your message that promoting and encouraging abhorrent behavior will drive families away.
The prewritten letter from AFA tells Burger King that the company’s promotion of “abhorrent behavior” is an “insult to families,’ which is why the letter-sender will now be boycotting the restaurant chain:
I am offended by Burger King’s stunt in offering a so-called “Proud Whopper” in San Francisco. What were you thinking?
Your celebrated promotion of cross-dressers and homosexuality is an insult to families and I find your celebration of abhorrent behavior as a reason to dine elsewhere.
I hope you will learn from this publicity blunder and realize that while most stores did not participate in the corporate-approved program, the damage has been done and affects the image of all Burger King outlets.
