Woolies shoppers threaten to boycott supermarket over former CEO's same-sex marriage comments
Woolworths shoppers have threatened to take their business elsewhere after the former CEO made controversial comments on same-sex marriage.
Roger Corbett, who was the chief executive of Woolworths Limited from 1999 to 2006, appeared on ABC's 7.30 on Monday to advocate for the 'No' vote.
He told host Leigh Sales it was not "discriminatory" to stop same-sex couples from being allowed to marry.
"It’s a statement that is between men and women. A man and a man and a woman and a woman can have a similar relationship, but it’s different," he told the program.
“A black man and a white man are equal but they’re clearly different. A black man will never be a white man and vice versa.”
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After the program aired, many Woolworths shoppers said they would now boycott their local stores if the company did not "publicly disassociate" from Mr Corbett.
"Is Woolworths going to publicly disassociate itself from Roger Corbett's antiquated and selfish stance on marriage equality? Coles here I come," one person wrote on Facebook.
"Thanks Woolworhts, but no thanks! Roger Corbett is an advocate for the no campaign, I'll take my business somewhere else," another said.
In response to some of the comments, a Woolworths' spokesperson stated its support for marriage equality.
"We believe marriage equality is not just a social, but also a workplace issue. For that reason, we pledged our support for marriage equality in August," the comment read.
"We're proud to embrace diversity and want to be a community where all out people are free to be themselves without fear of prejudice or discrimination."
