AFA Says 500,000 Sign Petition to Boycott Pepsi

A firestorm has been brewing among conservatives with regards to soda. It's not because soda is bad for you, but because PepsiCo Company has been accused of advocating both same-sex marriage and homosexuality. The furor has become such that the American Family Association (AFA) says it has now secured over 500,000 signatures on a petition from those pledging to boycott PepsiCo.

AFA has been promoting a boycott of PepsiCo since January, 2009. The AFA says that PepsiCo has made contributions to organizations that foster the "homosexual agenda."

The organizations that the American Family Association notes are the Human Rights Campaign (HRC, $500,000) and the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG, $500,000). The AFA says that the $1,000,000 was used to help promote homosexuality in the workplace.

PepsiCo has confirmed its position on this issue, by saying "The grants were made in direct support of safety and respect in the workplace. They do not reflect political or public advocacy of any kind."

However, AFA said that PepsiCo is advocating a lifestyle that is extremely unhealthy and dangerous. President Tim Wildmon said "It's a medical fact that persons trapped in homosexuality are statistically higher to experience shortened life spans, clinical depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and life-ending diseases. Why can't PepsiCo understand that is not a good cause to be supporting?"

The AFA launched its boycott campaign in January. The campaign has reached some form of critical mass. For example, in September, a Brandon, FL church removed Pepsi products from its site.

It's interesting that, according to the blog LezGetReal, Coca Cola is actually far more gay-friendly. "Coca Cola has consistently scored higher on the Human Rights Campaign’s list of LGBT friendly businesses." Perhaps these churches simply like Coke better than Pepsi.