TOMS Shoes Founder Supports Anti-Gay Organization

Filed Under: Icky Icky Poo Gay Gay Gay Fashion Smashion Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!

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A little over a week ago TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie participated in an event put on by Focus on the Family, an organization that condemns homosexuality, and a lot of his customers are pissed.

Less than a day after word got out of his involvement in Feet on the Ground, Blake went into damage control mode and posted an "apology" on his blog:

Had I known the full extent of Focus on the Family’s beliefs, I would not have accepted the invitation to speak at their event. It was an oversight on my part and the company’s part and one we regret. In the last 18 months we have presented at over 70 different engagements and we do our best to make sure we choose our engagements wisely, on this one we chose poorly.

Furthermore, contrary to what has been reported, Focus on the Family is not a TOMS giving partner.

So there is no misunderstanding created by this mistake, let me clearly state that both TOMS, and I as the founder, are passionate believers in equal human and civil rights for all. That belief is a core value of the company and of which we are most proud.

Saying he didn't know the "full extent" of Focus on the Family's beliefs is kind of a cop out, especially when they're spelled out right in the organization's About Us section!

Also, while Focus on the Family may not be a giving partner, TOMS has been offering a special discount to the organization for the past two weeks.

And finally, we find Blake's wording of the last two sentences to be very inneresting. He kinda sidesteps the issue by saying he supports human and civil rights rather than gay rights.

Thoughts???

Tags: blake mycoskie, focus on the family, one for one product, toms, toms shoes