Travel sites and LGBT issues seem to be recurring themes on the site today. Anyhow, non-profit organization Media Matters is calling on Orbitz to pull its ads from what it deems the “anti-LGBT” Fox News network, which of course already experienced a huge loss in advertisers during the whole Glenn Beck-related tumult in 2009.
But while Beck and the network have since parted ways, Roger Ailes & Co. are still on Media Matters’ radar thanks to other instances of “destructive anti-gay language and actions” from the likes of Bill O’Reilly and Mike Huckabee. So, MM has launched a new initiative called DropFox and the group’s first priority, as mentioned, is putting some heat on Orbitz by sending the travel brand’s CEO Barney Harford a letter signed by three gay rights organizations including GLAAD, Courage Campaign and Equality Matters that asks Harford’s company to stop supporting Fox News via ad revenue.
The letter includes a statement from Courage Campaign founder/chair Rick Jacobs, who says, “Orbitz loves gay dollars and, we hope, LGBT people, but by funding homophobes and charlatans like hosts Bill O’Reilly and Mike Huckabee, Orbitz sends the wrong message. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people can go to plenty of other travel sites. We count on Orbitz to do the right thing and stop buying advertising on Fox News Channel so that LGBT people can continue to shop with Orbitz. The alternatives are clear.”
Will Orbitz comply? Who knows, but you can read some of the reasons why Media Matters and its partners are peeved at the “charlatans” here.