Barilla tells gays to eat another brand of pasta

Guido Barilla, President of the Barilla pasta corporation
ROME - Following remarks by Barilla pasta corporation president that the company will never feature gay families in their advertisements, criticism erupted on social media Thursday night. 
 
In an interview with Radio 24 on Wednesday, Guido Barilla stated that "we won't include gays in our ads, because we like the traditional family." He continued to explain that if gays did not like their form of adversiting, "they can always eat another brand of pasta."
 
Soon after the interview was released, the public cried foul. Civil rights groups called for an immediate apology, which Signor Barilla later attempted. In his follow-up statement, he expressed that he meant no harm towards the LGBT community and would not like his words to have "hurt the sensibilities of some people." However, he only seemed to reaffirm his earlier views, clarifying that his intent was "to highlight the central role of the woman in the family."
 
Worldwide, supporters of equal rights declared their contempt for Signor Barilla's comments via social media. The head of Equality Italia, Aurelio Mancuso, described the remarks as an "offensive provocation," reports Reuters. Now the remarks have prompted boycotts on Barilla products both in Italy and abroad.