Barilla Announces New 'Diversity & Inclusion Board'

Back in September, Barilla pasta found itself in hot water after chairman Guido Barilla made disparaging comments about homosexuals.

"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 said.

Now, as damage control, Barilla has announced that they will be launching a Diversity & Inclusion Board that will improve diversity and equality in the company by means of "sexual orientation, gender balance, disability rights and multicultural and intergenerational issues."

Barilla will also launch an online contest in 2014 where contestants can make a video that represents the "multifaceted nature of pasta." Viewers can vote for the video they like the most, which then will be judged by a panel for awards.

This formation of this board is apparently in response to the amount of backlash Barilla pasta received after Guido Barilla made a comment about homosexual families.

"If gays like our pasta and our advertising, they'll eat our pasta," he said, after insisting that commercials wouldn't feature any homosexuals. "If they don't like it then they will not eat it and will eat another brand."

Well, it's nice to see that company has had a change of heart. Maybe next we will see a Barilla ad with the "multifaceted nature" of families.