PepsiCo produces Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola and Gatorade drinks, Tropicana juices, and Quaker foods. In his speech, Quinlan asked PepsiCo stockholders to stop donating money to groups that aim to discredit the ex-gay community:
"Last year PepsiCo gave away half a million dollars to PFLAG, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. PFLAG is a gay organization that supports tolerance for gays but does not believe in tolerance for ex-gays and other heterosexuals. When Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin's church sponsored an ex-gay conference last year, PFLAG issued press releases against Sarah Palin and organized protests at her church. This same church was later anonymously vandalized by fire, reminiscent of the burning of black churches in the South during the civil rights movement. Churches should welcome former homosexuals like me and PepsiCo should not fund organizations like PFLAG that do not welcome diversity, but promote hatred.
I have been shouted and heckled by PFLAG members because I am out and open in society as a former homosexual. Why does PepsiCo fund groups like PFLAG that hate people who are different from them? This is not tolerance; this is not inclusion by any definition.
PFLAG publishes anti-ex-gay literature and opposes ex-gay inclusion although they advocate for gay rights - they just don't believe others should have the same equal rights. PFLAG contributes to the intolerance of the ex-gay community and stereotypes former homosexuals like me. By funding PFLAG, PepsiCo promotes fear and hostility against the ex-gay community and our supporters, and spreads lies about ex-gay organizations. Diversity does not and should not mean funding one organization so that it can attack another.
PFLAG also funded support for the gay marriage political battles across the country last year. But the American people voted for traditional marriage and against gay marriage in every state where an initiative was held. In fact, 30 states, 3/5 of the United States supports marriage as one man and one woman. So why is PepsiCo involved in funding an organization like PFLAG that supports genderless marriage when the majority of the American people do not? This could hurt Pepsi's image and stock value.
In fact, it already has. Currently, there is a boycott of PepsiCo by AFA the American Family Association. AFA is a grassroots organization of concerned families across the country that successfully boycotted Ford Motor products for donating money to gay activist organizations. Now they're boycotting Pepsi products because they claim PepsiCo is funding the gay agenda, including same sex-marriage. Their boycott petition already has over 300,000 signatures by concerned Americans who are boycotting all PepsiCo brands. You can see the signature for yourself at www.boycottpepsico.com AFA has over a million members nationwide. AFA works closely with 10,000 religious organizations and denominations in the United States , representing nearly 30 million American consumers.
The PepsiCo Board of Directors approved a $13 million total compensation package for the CEO, Indra Nooyi, in addition to her free personal use of the PepsiCo company plane, and a car and chauffer for commuting. If PepsiCo can afford that, then it can afford to issue a report revealing to you, the shareholders, how your money is being spent on dubious charities that support genderless marriage and hate against ex-gays like me."
See http://www.pepsico.com to hear Greg's courageous speech.