Minnesota for Marriage, the group
backing a proposed gay marriage ban in the state, will protest
General Mills' opposition to the measure.
Voters in November will decide whether
to place the state's law which bans gay nuptials in the Minnesota
Constitution.
The food giant announced its opposition
to the amendment last week.
“For decades, General Mills has
worked to create an inclusive culture for our employees. We believe
it is important for Minnesota to be viewed as inclusive and welcoming
as well. We oppose the proposed constitutional amendment because we
do not believe it is in the best interests of our employees or our
state economy,” Tom Forsythe, vice president of corporate
communications, said in a statement.
Ken Powell, chairman and CEO of General
Mills, expressed similar views at a Gay Pride event.
In an e-mail
to supporters, Minnesota for Marriage called the move “stupid”
and announced it would be hold four days' worth of “Dump General
Mills Rallies.”
“I know it seems odd for a company
who spends billions of dollars marketing products to moms and dads
with young children to do such a thing, but General Mill has tried to
please a small minority of individuals who feel entitled to change
the definition of marriage for all of society. They have calculated
that we won't fight back. They have grossly miscalculated us!”
wrote Andy Parrish, deputy campaign manager for Minnesota for
Marriage.
The daily rallies will take place
across from the company's Minneapolis headquarters starting on
Tuesday, June 26. Supporters are being called on to bring General
Mills products from home and dump them in a trailer to be donated to
a local food bank.
The National Organization for Marriage
(NOM) has also criticized General Mills for its opposition to the
amendment. NOM earlier this year launched a
“Dump Starbucks” campaign over its decision to support a gay
marriage law in Washington state.