Council, released the following statement to our supporters
yesterday, June 25, 2008:
Dear Friends and
Families,
What a powerful community we
are! Just three weeks ago, on Thursday, June 5, it was
brought to my attention that hate group Focus on the Family was
using the TiVo logo and products to support a “Super Dad” contest.
The Family Equality Council immediately responded, informing our
supporters and the press that we would not stand for companies like
TiVo, whose services we use in our very homes, to align themselves
and their brand with groups that daily work to undermine our
families’ lives.
To date, over 1,000 LGBT parents,
family members and friends have signed onto our statement,
demanding that TiVo dissolve its partnership with Focus on the
Family and apologize for the offense. I have been in direct talks
with TiVo executives for more than a week. I want to share with you
the outcomes of our conversations and assure you that our voices
are being HEARD!
TiVo is deeply embarrassed. Until this past week,
the company has had an “affiliate” relationship with Focus on the
Family, which means that Focus on the Family had access to TiVo’s
corporate logo so they could promote TiVo products, possibly in
exchange for compensation from TiVo. In the minds of TiVo
executives, allowing groups like Focus on the Family to use TiVo’s
corporate logo implied only that these organizations supported TiVo
and its products, not the other way around. Hearing our
supporters’ voices, TiVo executives realized that associations are
a two-way street.
In direct response to our families’ actions,
TiVo has stated that “we do not endorse the ideological
views of any organization,” and from now on will no longer
allow blanket access to their corporate identity. In other words,
TiVo understands that aligning itself with a hate group is bad for
business, bad for people and is simply wrong. TiVo has also
directed Focus on the Family to remove its branding from the “Super
Dads” contest and has taken down its own Focus on the
Family affiliate web page.
I’m happy to report that TiVo has maintained
an open dialogue with us as we’ve worked to educate them on the
value of all families and the need to represent
all of its customers equally. And while this dialogue has
been positive, productive and responsive, the question of whether
TiVo will continue to have a business relationship with Focus on
the Family or similar groups in the future is unclear. We have
given TiVo ample opportunity to clarify their position on this
issue and to date they have declined.
I’m extremely proud of our families
and supporters for making their voices heard. I’m
especially proud of the LGBT dads, their family members and
friends, who leapt over the emotional hurdle of sharing their
personal information with Focus on the Family in order to submit
“Super Dad” nominations on the group’s website. To honor these
nominations, which Focus on the Family refused to publish on their
website, we have created an area on our website at https://dev-fec.pantheonsite.io/superdads to
showcase our supporters’ powerful stories.
In my conversations with TiVo I made it clear
that we as an LGBT family community are not in the business of
punishing companies. Rather our community seeks equality and
inclusion in all aspects of life. We want our governments to grant
us basic rights, to allow us to nurture and protect our families,
and we want companies like TiVo to equally value our support of
their services. I’m pleased that TiVo has recognized its mistake in
allowing Focus on the Family to push a discriminatory contest with
its name. I’ll be fully satisfied when all companies understand
that Focus on the Family and similar groups are not simply
“controversial,” but directly target and attack our lives.
Thank you and your families for being exactly
who you are and sharing your real lives with the world.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Chrisler
Executive Director, Family Equality Council