A year after Guido Barilla told Italian radio he'd never put a gay couple in a pasta ad, HRC gives Barilla a perfect LGBT rights score

Barilla plant in Ames, IA. Another is in Avon, NY.

But still, no gay-inclusive Barilla ads seem to have surfaced, anywhere. (If so, we'd love to see them. HRC, how about it?)
     Since the world-wide PR debacle, Barilla has done a thorough job of burnishing its image, including paying LGBT bloggers to participate in its "Share The Table" promotion but it apparently still hasn't done what the chairman of the privately-held corporation vowed he would never do, in the remarks that got the company in hot water in the first place.

   Eight months after Barilla's chairman insulted gays, a gay pasta ad did appear in Italy — from Findus, a frozen-food brand marketed by the Iglo Group..
     Despite this fundamental lack of change, CNN just reported "Barilla goes from worst to first:"

      The company created a diversity and inclusion board, launched a training program for employees and contributed to LGBT causes.
      "I think the speed with which Barilla invested in these policies and benefits is a model" for other companies, Fidas of HRC said.

     When AKSARBENT checked, we found an interesting fact CNN left out of its report: HRC's high rating was for Barilla America Inc., hq'd in Bannockburn, IL. Barilla's two U.S. factories are in Avon, NY and Ames, Iowa.
     So, to reiterate:  HRC now applauds the U.S. subsidiary of Barilla, even though its two factories were already in gay marriage states that prohibited anti-LGBT discrimination and despite the fact that over 12 months later, Barilla does not appear to have acknowledged gay people in any ads in Italy or elsewhere, even though a different company, which sells frozen pasta dinners, already has done so in Barilla's back yard.
     CNN's observation that Barilla has recently contributed to LGBT causes makes cynical us wonder how much HRC got.
     Below: Italian MP baits two gay colleagues with 'fag bag' contents: "Barilla's right. From now on I only eat his pasta."