Some members of the
LGBT community have supported a boycott because the company's founder and
CEO is the son of controversial radio personality
Michael Savage, and because its former
CFO, Janet Weiner, is Savage's wife and also CFO of Savage Productions.
[18][19] The boycott was motivated by allegations that Savage had made comments perceived to be homophobic, racist, and discriminatory.
[20][21][22] In May 2009 San Francisco mayor
Gavin Newsom returned a $25,000 donation which Rockstar had made to his 2010 re-election campaign.
[19][23]
During an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Eric Jaye of the campaign, stated the money was returned because "there was some statements made during (Weiner's) 1998 campaign in the GOP primary which conflicted with the mayor's position and we're returning the check," he said.
In a later interview Weiner told the SF Gate: "I still wish Gavin well. I always will." But he said that with the donation rejected, "I'm taking this money and I'm donating it to charity. We're telling them to name a charity of their choosing, and if they don't want it, we'll donate it to
Project Open Hand."
In July 2009, Change.org announced they had negotiated an agreement with Rockstar resulting in the release of a statement that affirmed the company's continuing support for LGBT rights. In addition, Rockstar agreed to donate $100,000 to LGBT rights organizations.
[24] The
Bilerico Project, an
LGBTQ group, took credit for facilitating the agreement. They reported that Rockstar CFO Janet Weiner had stepped down from her role as CFO of Savage Productions "as an apparent statement of solidarity with equality advocates" which had not been requested as part of the agreement.
[25]
Rockstar, saying that the "thetruthaboutrockstarenergydrink.com" domain name was registered and used in bad faith, obtained control of that site under a decision from the
National Arbitration Forum.
[26]