Contact: Cindy Roberts, American Family Assoc., 662-844-5036;

Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth, 630-546-4439;

Sandy Rios, Culture Campaign;

Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel, 800-671-1776;

Diane Gramley, American Family Assoc. of PA, 814-271-9078;

David E. Smith, Illinois Family Institute, 630-790-8370;

OAK BROOK, Illinois, July 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- American Family Association (AFA) is today joined at a McDonald's restaurant near the grounds of McDonald's corporate headquarters by Americans for Truth, Liberty Counsel, Illinois Family Institute, AFA of Pennsylvania and Culture Campaign and other pro-family advocates to call for a boycott of the corporation over their disregard for traditional moral and family values. "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."

Press Conference Details ---

When: Wednesday, July 16, 2008, 10:00 AM (Central)

Where: In front McDonald's restaurant across from McDonald's world headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois (22nd St. and Spring Rd.)

Wildmon wrote 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 gay Web site. McDonald's ignored both requests. "To put it politely, the company thumbed its nose at the Christian community," Wildmon said.

McDonald's donated $20,000 to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in exchange for membership and a seat on the group's board of directors. The NGLCC lobbies Congress on a wide range of issues related to the gay agenda including gay marriage.

In response to the boycott, McDonald's spokesman Bill Whitman told the Washington Post that those who oppose homosexuality are motivated by hate, saying that "… hatred has no place in our culture." McDonald's has decided to adopt the "hate" theme used by homosexual groups for years.

"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 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.

American Family Association is a pro-family advocacy organization with over 2.5 million online supporters.