Barilla pasta boycotted for chairman’s offensive remarks

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Chairman for Barilla pasta manufacturer Guido Barilla told Italy’s Radio 24 Wednesday that his company would never feature gay people in its advertising.

“I would never do (a commercial) with a homosexual family, not for lack of respect but because we don’t agree with them. Ours is a classic family where the woman plays a fundamental role, ” Barilla told the radio station.

His comments sparked calls for a boycott by LGBT rights supporters.

In a statement released Thursday, Barilla apologized and said that his point was “simply that the woman plays a central role in a family.”