Citi says it will continue to sponsor world #3 golfer Justin Thomas after he responded to missing a putt at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii by yelling the word “faggot,” but will require him to “use his platform to play an active role in accelerating support for the LGBTQ+ community” and “donate a meaningful portion of his Citi 2021 sponsorship fee to mutually agreed upon LGBTQ+ organizations.”
Ralph Lauren last week dropped its 7-year sponsorship of Thomas over the slur. Thomas said he’ll undergo a training program to “become a better person.”
Wrote Citi’s Chief Marketing Officer Carla Hassan in a blog post: “So there is no doubt, we strongly condemn the use of this homophobic slur by Justin and anyone else, and our actions now should in no way be interpreted as excusing it or even forgiving it. This is not about Justin as an individual, but the view that his influence and this moment of public attention create an opportunity to educate many who are not sufficiently attuned to the discrimination the LGBTQ+ community continues to face and how words, actions and inactions perpetuate that discrimination. If at any point we feel that Justin is not sincere in working toward this goal, we will end our relationship with him.”
