Unique Ford Bronco is part of new Pride tradition, effort to shut down trolls

Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press
·4 min read
19

An online troll seems to have inspired a Pride tradition at Ford Motor Co.

Rather than recoil from comments intended to blast Ford while demeaning the LGBTQ community, the automaker has instead gone all-in to show the world that not only are slurs not going to be tolerated but that the company will aggressively work to show it's supportive of all people regardless of sexual orientation or identity.

As a result, Ford has created a one-of-a-kind Ford Pride Bronco Wildtrak with rainbow colors and a unique exterior gold glitter wrap in honor of Pride Month. It was completed in time for Saturday's Memphis Pride Fest 2022 in Tennessee  as well as Detroit's upcoming Motor City Pride Parade on June 12.

Ford created a one-of-a-kind Bronco Wildtrak to ride in the Pride parade in Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday, June 4, 2022 and then in the Pride parade in Detroit the following weekend.
Ford created a one-of-a-kind Bronco Wildtrak to ride in the Pride parade in Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday, June 4, 2022 and then in the Pride parade in Detroit the following weekend.

The Free Press was told the vehicle is not for sale.

Why Tennessee?

Ford announced its plans last year to build electric trucks and batteries in Tennessee, and the company has worked to engage the region in various local projects since then.

“Bronco is bold, proud and tough, and it’s built for everyone,” Bill Peters, Ford Pride chair and Ford integration product lead, said in a statement. “With BlueOval City just an hour away, Memphis is the perfect place to debut this Bronco and show folks in Tennessee that Ford is an inclusive company that strives to make sure everyone feels welcome.”

This latest Pride endeavor comes on the heels of last year’s "Very Gay Ranger Raptor" in Europe, which  was "developed to showcase the automaker’s culture of inclusiveness and continued support of the LGBTQ+ community," Ford said.

In fact, it was created in response to a troll.

Ford Europe tweeted a video, after unveiling its blue Ford Ranger Raptor, that one online comment "stopped us in our tracks." And the company bristled when the social media poster wrote, “Well, that's a cool car! — But that blue color is very Gay!! Hey Ford! Paint it in BlackNGold or camo!”

The company offered an alternative but it wasn't BlackNGold or camo.

"What happened next was a masterclass in shutting down homophobic trolls," wrote The Advocate in August 2021.

Ford of Europe instead tweeted a video of a "Very Gay Raptor" with rainbows and gold glitter, making clear Ford stands up to discriminatory speech as an LGBTQ ally.

This year, the Ford Pride team in Dearborn felt it needed to step up and created the Ford Pride Bronco.

Eric Mutrynowski, 38, a global market retail strategist from Ann Arbor and member of the Ford Pride team, told the Free Press on Friday that the company sent three people from Dearborn to support the Ford team in Tennessee.

Having Ford participate in the parade, he said, is creative representation of the community. "It's celebrating how far we have come. ... It's also recognizing all of the hate and discrimination that's still out there that we still have to overcome."

More: Pride Month 2022: Your guide to celebrating LGBTQ pride across Michigan

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It's important for companies to show support for LGBTQ customers and employees, said Mutrynowski, who has worked at Ford for seven years. "One of Ford's truths is, 'Treat customers like family.' ... We are here and supportive."

Eric Mutrynowski, seen here September 21, 2021, is a member of the Ford Pride employee resource group who helped coordinate efforts to spotlight the Ford Bronco in Pride parades in Memphis, Tennessee and Detroit in June 2022.
Eric Mutrynowski, seen here September 21, 2021, is a member of the Ford Pride employee resource group who helped coordinate efforts to spotlight the Ford Bronco in Pride parades in Memphis, Tennessee and Detroit in June 2022.

Even just having a Pride Team at Ford has created a safe working space that allows people to focus on their job and not stress about conflict despite where they are on their personal journey, he said. "We want to make sure everyone can bring their true and authentic selves to work."

While Mutrynowski could not attend the Memphis event, he does plan to participate in the Detroit event, which will begin downtown at Griswold and Fort streets and travel down Griswold to Jefferson and end at the Hart Plaza festival site.

As a gay man, he said he feels Pride events publicly reinforce support for people in our workplaces and throughout our communities. "It's really just being authentic to who you are."

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Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rainbow Ford Bronco Wildtrak is part of new Pride tradition