Rockstar Makes Good With Gays

After taking a drubbing from the gay community, Rockstar Energy Drink CEO Russell Weiner -- son of antigay shock jock Michael Savage -- announced on Thursday that his company is donating a total of $100,000 to a slew of gay rights groups.

The move comes after several gay websites reported that Weiner was Savage's son; many assumed that Savage helped fund Rockstar and played a role in its business dealings.

In a statement, Weiner worked to separate his company -- which produces one of the country's most popular energy drinks -- from his father. Savage's wife, Janet Weiner, serves as Rockstar's CFO, but according to the following release, does not share her husband's disdain for gays and lesbians.

"It has recently come to Rockstar's attention that there might be a misconception about our company's policy and my personal support for LGBT rights," Weiner said in a release. "We apologize for that misunderstanding, and want to make clear today that our company fully supports our LGBT employees and our LGBT customers."

The Las Vegas–based Rockstar will be splitting a $100,000 donation between the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, the Trevor Project, and a new group called the National LGBT Bloggers Initiative. The company, which has offered its employees domestic-partnership benefits since 2000, will now include an LGBT component in its corporate diversity training, as well as provide company resources for employees to start LGBT workplace groups.

Russell Weiner went out of his way to say he is not his homophobic father: "Some have erroneously associated our company with offensive language directed at LGBT people, specifically statements coming from Michael Savage, who is not and has never been a shareholder or officer of Rockstar Energy Drink. On behalf of our company and directors, including myself and CFO Janet Weiner, I would like to take this opportunity to disavow any offensive statements directed toward LGBT people, including statements from Michael Savage. Rockstar assures our customers and the general public that our brand will never be associated with any language that does not affirm the essential dignity of every person in our diverse national community."