McDonald's hears: 'I'm NOT lovin' it!'

The corporate headquarters for McDonald's is hearing from store managers in California that customers are upset over the company's pro-homosexual advocacy and they aren't going to take it any longer.

Yuriy Popko, one of several Christians who staged a sign-waving protest at the Golden Arches in Citrus Heights today, said the protest at that location was suspended when store officials agreed to convey protesters' objections to the corporate office.

Protesters object to McDonald's homosexual advocacy at a local McDonald's franchise July 22, 2008, in Citrus Heights, Calif.

"They came out and talked with us. Basically we had two requests: a notice to the public and that they e-mail our concerns to the corporate office," Popko told WND.

He said McDonald's officials confirmed they already had notified both regional and international headquarters about the concerns. But the company has a prohibition on local posted notices, so Popko said the Christians agreed to write a letter that McDonald's would forward also.

"Tomorrow we're going to be at a different location," he said.

WND report earlier on the call for the boycott by the American Family Association, and later when the boycott was joined by several other organizations.

It was because of a decision by the restaurant chain known for Happy Meals and its Golden Arches to deliberately advocate for homosexuality. The company has given $20,000 to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and placed one of its executives on that group's board. The NGLCC, among other things, lobbies for same-sex "marriage" provisions.

"If McDonald's restaurants and franchises … follow the small business advice of the company's new homosexual partner – the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), which received a $20,000 grant from McDonald's – there would be chaos," said Peter LaBarbera, chief of Americans for Truth.

Protesters gather at a McDonald's earlier this week near the corporate headquarters in Chicago to join in a boycott of the chain for its promotion of homosexuality

LaBarbera's was one of several groups, also including the Culture Campaign, Liberty Counsel, the American Family Association of Pennsylvania and the Illinois Family Institute, that have joined the boycott call.

Popko said there are Christians from several organizations in the area working on the McDonald's boycott.

"From customers, we've actually gotten a pretty good response. They see the signs and come up to us. When they ask, we just explain about the $20,000 donated to the NGLCC."

According to Beth Braun, a member of the group SaveBiblicalMarriage, which is arranging the protests, hundreds of homeschooling families and groups, churches and others have been contacted "to encourage them to join the boycott, if not in person, to send e-mails, call, and write the local, regional and national divisions expressing their disgust."

"I know a lot of homeschool families," she told WND. "When they hear, they're just going 'yuck.'"

Following a link from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce's website leads to a promotional for children's Happy Meals at the McDonalds website

"McDonalds should focus on food quality and safety issues instead of attacking the values held by the majority of people worldwide. Marriage between a man and a woman is the norm throughout the world. McDonalds' personal attack against those who support the traditional definition of marriage, while siding with a narrow group that promotes a radical redefinition, shows that company executives are out to lunch. McDonalds might as well change their signs to read 'billions and billions insulted,'" said Mathew Staver, chief of Liberty Counsel.

"It's a shame that McDonald's would tarnish their family-friendly image," said AFA Chairman Don Wildmon. "But the company has ramped up its support of the gay agenda and it leaves us no option but to call for a boycott."

Wildmon had written the company with a plea for McDonald's to remain neutral in the culture war by removing McDonald's name and logo from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Web site (where McDonald’s is cited as a partner and ally) and withdraw McDonald's VP of Communications Richard Ellis' endorsement from the website. McDonald's ignored both requests.

"To put it politely, the company thumbed its nose at the Christian community," Wildmon said.

"This boycott isn't about hiring homosexuals, or homosexuals eating at McDonald's or how homosexual employees are treated. It is about McDonald's, as a corporation, refusing to remain neutral in the culture war. The company has chosen not to remain neutral but to give the full weight of their corporation to promoting the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage," the AFA said.

The pro-family groups are encouraging families to do two things: sign, print and distribute a Boycott McDonald's petition at www.boycottmcdonalds.com; and call the local McDonald's to politely tell the manager they are boycotting the chain until it stops promoting the "gay" agenda.

McDonald's officials declined to return a WND call seeking comment on the placement of its executive on the "gay" advocacy organization. But the corporation sent a subsequent e-mail confirming its support for the agenda of the homosexual business lobby.

"McDonald's is indeed a Corporate Partner and Organizational Ally of NGLCC. Our vice president of U.S. communications, Richard Ellis, was recently elected to its board of directors," said the brief statement to WND from Heidi M. Barker, senior director of media relations.

A spokeswoman for NGLCC refused to speak with WND except on "background" when asked about McDonald's financial contribution to the group. But she did confirm the organization would not release information on its sponsors.

But Christians were further angered when a McDonald's executive said the company would continue its campaign against such "hate."

Note: Concerned individuals may e-mail McDonald's corporate headquarters or call 1-800-244-6227.

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