After taking a drubbing
from the gay community, Rockstar Energy Drink CEO Russell
Weiner -- son of antigay shock jock Michael Savage -- announced
on Thursday that his company is donating a total of $100,000 to
a slew of gay rights groups.
The move comes after
several gay websites reported that Weiner was Savage's son;
many assumed that Savage helped fund Rockstar and played a role
in its business dealings.
In a statement, Weiner
worked to separate his company -- which produces one of the
country's most popular energy drinks -- from his father.
Savage's wife, Janet Weiner, serves as Rockstar's CFO,
but according to the following release, does not share her
husband's disdain for gays and lesbians.
"It has recently
come to Rockstar's attention that there might be a
misconception about our company's policy and my personal
support for LGBT rights," Weiner said in a release.
"We apologize for that misunderstanding, and want to make
clear today that our company fully supports our LGBT employees
and our LGBT customers."
The Las Vegas-based
Rockstar will be splitting a $100,000 donation between the Gay
and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, the Gay,
Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, the Trevor Project,
and a new group called the National LGBT Bloggers Initiative.
The company, which has offered its employees
domestic-partnership benefits since 2000, will now include an
LGBT component in its corporate diversity training, as well as
provide company resources for employees to start LGBT workplace
groups.
Russell Weiner went out
of his way to say he is not his homophobic father: "Some
have erroneously associated our company with offensive language
directed at LGBT people, specifically statements coming from
Michael Savage, who is not and has never been a shareholder or
officer of Rockstar Energy Drink. On behalf of our company and
directors, including myself and CFO Janet Weiner, I would like
to take this opportunity to disavow any offensive statements
directed toward LGBT people, including statements from Michael
Savage. Rockstar assures our customers and the general public
that our brand will never be associated with any language that
does not affirm the essential dignity of every person in our
diverse national community."
Click here to follow The Advocate on Twitter.
Page 1 of 1