Whatever other problems it has, Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) has, historically, been on the side of the gay community. From sponsoring athletes at the Gay Games to offering domestic partnership benefits to its gay and lesbian employees, there is little fault for a gay rights activist to find with Nike.
But that didn't stop some people from making up fake controversies. The company's ads for its Hyperdunk basketball shoes feature competing basketball players in photos with heads in each other's crotches, hands on butts, etc. -- stuff that happens all the time during basketball games.
Now, in response to the criticism, the company is pulling the ads, citing its desire "to underline our ongoing commitment to supporting diversity in sport and the workplace."
The ads are funny and they're not homophobic -- Nike's track record on these issues demonstrates that. LGBT activists who make an issue out of stuff like this marginalize the real issues, by making it look like there aren't bigger battles to fight. With one presidential candidate who just learned what "LGBT" means, there clearly are. But silly stuff like this will turn people off and prevent those issues from being taken seriously.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-28-2008 @ 7:24AM
drklrdbill said...
If gays and lesbians want to be treated the same as heterosexuals, then why make stupid complaints like this? If you want to be treated the same, you've got to be able to take a joke (even if it isn't actually one haha)
9-08-2008 @ 12:05PM
scottie said...
Get a grip. It's ridiculous to promote hatred in this day and age, and what you have to remember is the term Disposable Income. That means we don't have housewives we have to support or children to put through school. What we can spend our money on happens to be shoes, sometimes. Now I'm guessing Nike will lose a chunk of that from their own stupidity in trusting their promotional advertising department!!