The World’s Largest Pasta Producer is Homophobic


The world’s largest pasta producer, Barilla, made a big spaghetti uh-oh today, when chairman Guido Barilla said he would never feature a gay couple in the company’s advertisements. The Advocate reports

The company’s chairman told Italian radio show La Zanzara on Thursday that the world’s largest pasta producer will never feature gay couples in its advertisements.

“I would never do [a commercial] with a homosexual couple, not for lack of respect but because we don’t agree with them,” said Guido Barilla, according to a Reuters translation. “Ours is a classic family where the woman plays a fundamental role… If [gays] don’t like it, they can go eat another brand.”

Just to drive his point home, Guido added, “I have no respect for adoption by gay families because this concerns a person who is not able to choose,” according to a translation from the U.K. Independent. “Everyone has a the right to do what they want without disturbing those around them.”

LGBT activists didn’t waste a second having a fit over the statement. Almost immediately, the hashtag #boicottbarilla was trending on Twitter and a cute pasta meme that says “No matter if you like farfalle or maccheroni, just love.”

Barilla realized he made a bit of a mistake, and he backtracked saying that he was just trying to emphasize the importance of the woman in the family:

“I’m sorry if my comments on La Zanzara have created misunderstanding or polemic, or if I’ve offended anyone. … In the interview I only wanted to underline the central role of the woman in the family.”

So I guess that mean’s he’s super gung-ho for lesbian families?

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