The McDonald's Way: Not Gay

Seeing some comments from McDonald's chief operating officer this morning made me wonder: what team does the fast-food giant play on? Can the company be considered pro-gay or anti-gay, or can McDonald's go both ways?

McDonald's got considerable attention last month for a TV ad that was shown in France that depicted a teenager having lunch with his father at the restaurant. The kid is talking to the object of his affection, who is a fellow student at what we learn is an all-boys' school. There's a sweet exchange between the boy and his father, though the teen does not reveal the gender of his special friend.

Social conservative groups predictably hated the ad: "They’re pandering to the homosexual market," wrote one commenter on the FreeRepublic.com. And gay business groups hated it too: the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to McDonald's CEO James Skinner telling him it was offensive for the company to run the ad only in France and that the organization was severing ties with the company.

And based on an interview published today with McDonald's operations chief Don Thompson, the company's relationship with gay groups likely will remain strained. Thompson, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune, talked somewhat in circles as he explained how the company was sensitive to cultural norms in various parts of the world. Oh, and he identified himself as a Christian even though he wasn't asked that question.

"We're going to make some mistakes at times. (We talk) about things that may have an implication in one part of the world and may be the cultural norm in another part of the world. And those are things that, yes, we're going to learn from. But, you're right, that commercial won't show in the United States," Thompson said in the interview.

All of this is interesting, in part, because McDonald's has built a reputation as a good company to work for if you're gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. Two years ago, social conservatives staged a boycott on the company because of its decision to extend specific health benefits for employees going through gender-reassignment procedures.

This raises the question: what side are you really on when both sides of a divisive cultural issues hate you for your stand? And does any of it matter to the consumer who just wants a hamburger?