Oreo's support of Pride Month may have been applauded by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocates after the popular brand released an image of a rainbow-stuffed cookie on its Facebook page, but not everyone was as ecstatic after the now-iconic shot went viral on a number of social media platforms.
As a result, a number of different Facebook groups have sprung up denouncing the controversial image. The founder of one writes, "Kraft foods and Oreo cookies have decided to toss the morals that formed our great nation right out the window and literally toss them right down our throat! Boycott Oreo cookies and hit them where it hurts...in the wallet."
Still, a Kraft Foods spokesperson defended the Oreo image to HuffPost UK. "As a company, Kraft Foods has a proud history of celebrating diversity and inclusiveness," the spokesperson is quoted as saying. "We feel the Oreo ad is a fun reflection of our values."
Of course, the brand is hardly the first to experience a backlash of conservative consumers after publicly supporting LGBT rights. Target, American Apparel and Starbucks are just three other corporations which were faced with anti-gay boycotts after either publicly endorsing LGBT rights themselves or releasing special products which did so. And let's not forget about J.C. Penney, which has been condemned at least three times this year alone after hiring Ellen DeGeneres as their spokesperson and featuring same-sex couples in Mother's Day and Father's Day catalogs respectively. Take a look at 25 brands and companies which have faced an anti-gay backlash below:
