"The Power Of The Truth..."

Barilla  Chief Executive Officer Claudio Colzani

Barilla From Worst to First on HRC's Corporate Equality Index

Winnie McCroy
November 20, 2014


Last fall, Barilla's chairman got into some hot water when the chairman said they company would never feature an LGBT couple in its ads, and if gays didn't like it, they could eat something else.

But after a toxic boycott of the company drove away customers and profits, the company was forced to eat its own words. They reached out to HRC, and made such dramatic changes in the course of one year that they received a perfect score from the prominent gay rights group.

The Washington Post reported today that the company has expanded health benefits for transgender workers and their families, contributed money to gay rights, and featured a lesbian couple on a promotional website.

"It is very unusual for a business to take on the full spectrum of CEI criteria in one year," said HRC's Director of the Workplace Deena Fidas. "Some people may certainly speculate about the motivations here, but at the end of the day it's irrefutable that at Barilla, you have LGBT-inclusive police and practices... that were not there a year ago."

For a complete look at all the changes Barilla made to get from a -25 to a perfect 100 in one year, check the HRC's CEI here.

Barilla's Chief Diversity Officer Talita Erickson said that the company has demonstrated its sincerity with actions like transgender-related health care, a thorough diversity training and a broader anti-discrimination policy. They even donated money to the Tyler Clementi Foundation, an anti-bullying organization founded by the parents of the gay Rutgers student who committed suicide. But don't expect to see gays in their TV commercials anytime soon.

"My understanding is we're absolutely open to having the LGBT community represented in our ads in the future," said Erickson. "It's going to happen gradually."

Back in September 2013 EDGE reported on the president of Barilla's statement that he wouldn't use same-sex couples in advertising.

At that time, HRC even urged the LGBT community to choose from five other LGBT-friendly pasta brands that support equal rights, saying, "should you find yourself without the taste for a piping hot plate of Barilla pasta tonight, here are a few LGBT-friendly pasta companies that practice corporate social responsibility."

If vocal boycotts were this effective with a company that unapologetically denied the LGBT community any representation less than 400 days ago, could similar strategies work with other anti-gay companies? One can only imagine the pastabilities.

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This is the power of truth... 

When you call out irrational hate and prejudice for what it is, it can't survive.

On a happy note, this means that Maggianno's is back on!

"Fear Eats the Soul"