General

Blame Canada, says event organizer

Furor over anti-gay marriage sponsorship “is an issue only north of the border”

According to the National Organization for Marriage’s Rhode Island regional organizer, Tim Hortons’ decision to pull the plug on its offer to provide free coffee to an anti-gay marriage lobby group had nothing to do with mollifying its growing American customer base. “They rescinded the offer today as a direct result of the hubbub in Canada,” Christopher Plante told CanWest News. “This is an issue only north of the border.” The determinedly iconic Canadian doughnut chain awoke to a public relations crisis yesterday morning after word started to spread that a Rhode Island restaurant had signed on to sponsor the state’s first “Marriage Day Celebration”, organized by NOM. Within hours, the company had announced that the Rhode Island event did not meet its sponsorship guidelines, and, as such, would not be receiving its support. In a subsequent interview, however, Plante pointed out that the event in question advertised itself as nonpartisan and open to all. “They’ve decided what makes better sense for them value-wise … Corporations need to do that, so we respect that.”

Montreal Gazette

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