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Ford Motor Company shareholders will vote next month on a resolution to drop protections for LGBT workers from the company's human resources regulations.

The company had fought the motion, submitted by shareholder Robert Hurley of Alton, Ill, but when Alton took the issue to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission the commission said the automaker must put the resolution to a vote at Ford's annual meeting May 11.

The motion calls for Ford to change its policy to exclude any reference to sexual interests, activities or orientation.

Ford had argued to the SEC that the proposal would hurt the company's ability to recruit and could hurt sales to gays and lesbians.

The SEC rejected the argument.

Ford said on Tuesday that it would comply with the SEC directive and include the resolution in its package and proxies to shareholders.

"We will include it, and we will have our comments in the proxy statement," said company spokesperson Becky Sanch. 

The possibility of ending LGBT protections to workers delighted the American Family Association which is boycotting Ford over the company's advertising in the gay media.

"I find Ford's logic in asking the SEC to omit the resolution interesting," AFA Chairman Don Wildmon said in a statement.

"In essence Ford is saying they are concerned that a boycott by homosexual groups would financially hurt the company, but the boycott by the pro-family groups will not."

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