Update: Tivo response to affiliation with James Dobson

Backstory

An article from Dustin at the Family Equality Council releases statements from Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of Family Equality Council.

Dear Friends and Families,

What a powerful community we are! Just three weeks ago, on Thursday, June 5, it was brought to my attention that hate group Focus on the Family was using the TiVo logo and products to support a “Super Dad” contest. The Family Equality Council immediately responded, informing our supporters and the press that we would not stand for companies like TiVo, whose services we use in our very homes, to align themselves and their brand with groups that daily work to undermine our families’ lives.

TiVo is deeply embarrassed. Until this past week, the company has had an “affiliate” relationship with Focus on the Family, which means that Focus on the Family had access to TiVo’s corporate logo so they could promote TiVo products, possibly in exchange for compensation from TiVo. In the minds of TiVo executives, allowing groups like Focus on the Family to use TiVo’s corporate logo implied only that these organizations supported TiVo and its products, not the other way around. Hearing our supporters’ voices, TiVo executives realized that associations are a two-way street.

In direct response to our families’ actions, TiVo has stated that “we do not endorse the ideological views of any organization,” and from now on will no longer allow blanket access to their corporate identity. In other words, TiVo understands that aligning itself with a hate group is bad for business, bad for people and is simply wrong. TiVo has also directed Focus on the Family to remove its branding from the “Super Dads” contest and has taken down its own Focus on the Family affiliate web page.

I’m extremely proud of our families and supporters for making their voices heard. I’m especially proud of the LGBT dads, their family members and friends, who leapt over the emotional hurdle of sharing their personal information with Focus on the Family in order to submit “Super Dad” nominations on the group’s website. To honor these nominations, which Focus on the Family refused to publish on their website, we have created an area on our website at http://www.familyequality.org/superdads to showcase our supporters’ powerful stories.

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