Ikea Italy: “No instructions needed to build a family”

On January 30, many thousands gathered in Rome for a “Family Day” supporting heterosexual definition of marriage.

Many evangelicals joined the demonstration and asked the right of every child to “have a father and a mother.”

The well-known Swedish company Ikea responded by organising its own family events on the same Saturday, an initiative supporting same-sex marriages.

While thousands defended traditional view of marriage, the multinational promoted its own agenda: “No instructions needed to build a family.”

On their website, the Ikea Family Day invited “all members to come with their own idea of family, under the motto ‘All you need is love’.”

EXPLICIT SUPPORT FOR LGBT GROUPS

The company used the opportunity to remind their costumers of their proud support of the LGBT communities in the past.

In 2007, “Ikea supported some demonstrations and events in favour of diversity”, such as the Pride Village and the Arcigay Support day (the biggest Italian LGBT organisation).

Later, in 2012, Ikea asked a specialised a pro-gay organisation to study their company’s politics of inclusion. More than 400 workers from 3 Ikea centres answered to an inquiry.

Almost 9 out 10 workers chose the option: “It is true that in Ikea everyone has the same career opportunities, indepently of their gender identity or their sexual orientation.”