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Expert Weighs In On General Mills' Marriage Amendment Stand

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- This past week, General Mills took a stand against a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage.

Jon Austin, who owns J Austin & Associates, said it was not a risky move, given the culture of the company.

"People who have been paying attention to General Mills have known for decades how they feel about diversity, about the GLBT community, it's been their brand. So, I suspect this will be a tempest in a teapot sort of thing," Austin said.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Susie Jones Reports

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Several other Twin Cities companies have also come out against the amendment, including St Jude Medical and Carlson Companies.

Austin said any public company these days has to be mindful of their constituencies.

"The fact of the matter is if you are general public company, your customers include people who may include people who look different from one another. It's going to be both gay and heterosexual, people with different colors and religions, different countries," he said.

Austin said there has been some push back. Minnesotans For Marriage has publicly spoken against General Mills position.

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