Why LGBT groups should refuse contributions by Russell Weiner and Rockstar Energy Drink

Simply put: Because it's hush money.

I have no doubt that the folks at Change.org and The Bilerico Project, The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, GLSEN, The Trevor Project, and Michael Rogers of PageOneQ.com are and were sincere in their efforts to get Rockstar's CEO and founder, Russell Goldencould Weiner, to disavow the anti-gay statements made by his father, our favorite radio blowhard, Michael Savage.

But while I don't doubt the sincerity of those groups, I do doubt Weiner's.

Why? Because I'm a firm believer in the adage, the nut doesn't fall far from the tree.

To catch you up to speed, a number of gay rights groups have called for a boycott of Rockstar after it was "discovered" that the company's CEO, Weiner, is Savage's son, and that Savage's wife, Janet, is also an officer.

Russell sent his lawyers after those sites, threatening to sue them for defamation if they continued to assert that Michael Savage had anything to do with the creation of the company.

That's in spite of early Rockstar Web site statements in which Russell credited his mom and dad with helping develop the formula for the drink. So maybe Savage didn't help found the company, but Russell is apparently saying he did help create the product. Pick nits, much?

Here's why I say the groups should return any contribution made by Weiner or Rockstar:

Remember, recently the gubernatorial campaign of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome returned a $25,000 donation Weiner made after an LGBT activist reminded Newsome of Weiner's views on gays.

And when he was asked about it, Weiner said he made the doantion because he's friends with Newsome and, most tellingly, he thought Newsome would be "good for business."

And that, my friends, is the bottom line. It's all about business.

Russell Weiner is no fool. You have to look carefully at yesterday's press release and study the language he uses in his statement (the bolding is mine):
 

"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," said Weiner. "We apologize for that misunderstanding, and want to make clear today that our company fully supports our LGBT employees and our LGBT customers."

"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."

Notice how he phrases the "disavowal:" "any" offensive statements. That's tantamount to saying, I'm sorry if you were offended by what I said. No acknowledgment that the statement was, in fact, offensive, just apologizing if you took it that way.

Secondly, it's all about the business: the Rockstar brand will never be associated with offensive comments. That means Weiner could go on the radio tomorrow and continue his father's rants on the "Gay mafia," and preface it all by saying, "I'm speaking for myself, not on behalf of Rockstar."

Why didn't he say, neither I, Janet Weiner, nor the Rockstar brand will ever be associated ...?" Because that's not how he or his mother feel.

So I urge these groups to stand back for a few days, really read what Weiner said, and hopefully come to the realization that any contributions from Rockstar are made with unclean hands.

Say "no!" to the hush money.

Keep the faith.