KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Several Malaysians and Indonesians have expressed outrage over Honda’s support of a US lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride parade, saying they would boycott the Japanese carmaker.
American Honda Motor Company, Inc, which is the North American subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, Ltd, posted on its Facebook page last Saturday that it would be participating in the 2016 Columbus Pride Parade in Ohio and posted a photograph of its vehicles in various colours, following the signature rainbow colour of the LGBT movement.
“At Honda, we value diversity and inclusion of everyone. Our support for the LGBT community is a reflection of our company’s commitment,” Honda wrote.
Many homophobic Malaysians and Indonesians, however, found issue with the automobile company’s backing of the sexual minority and posted comments saying they would trade in their Honda vehicles and stop buying from Honda.
“I am a potential buyer who had a keen interest in your new Honda Civic, but since Honda support lgbt, you just lost a customer. I will spread this post and made you lost EVEN MORE customer,” said Facebook user called Penulis Tanpa Nama, whose post received 474 “likes”.
Another Malaysian Facebook user, Syarifah Husna, said she would now choose Mazda over Honda, warning Malaysians that “eventually it will come to here... And last thing u know they will fund lgbt here”.
Malaysian Facebook user Bendahara Alam Warisan said he used to be a big supporter of Honda, but now he would trade off all his vehicles and cancel two orders of a CR-V and Civic.
“I shall never buy honda again n i shall tell all my friend dont buy honda. The least we could do to stop lgbt,” he wrote.
Indonesian Facebook user Didi Rachmadi said “since Honda support gay, lets move to Toyota for the next car”.
Some Facebook users, however, supported Honda’s pro-LGBT stance.
Shafiqah Othman Hamzah told Honda to keep “spreading the love and keep making bucks”.
“Thank you for standing up against homophobia,” she wrote.
Facebook user Mohd Faiz said: “Dear ‘muslim’ Honda users. Please donate me your Honda Jazz. I love that car the moment I'm using it”.
Facebook user Zanthrax Will apologised on behalf of Malaysians who posted offensive comments, saying: “We all know that LGBT are humans to [sic]”.
Malaysia and Indonesia are Muslim-majority countries. The local LGBT communities are often targeted by Islamic officials on grounds that homosexuality is forbidden in their religion.
