“Time to Light Them”
Taste the wakefulness.
Skittles has been met with backlash from conservatives, who fret over the popular candy’s new “woke” pro-LGBTQ packaging – and threaten a repeat of the boycott that cost Anheuser-Busch billions of dollars after Bud Light partnered with the transgender man -Influencer Dylan Mulvaney had closed.
“@Skittles is trying to turn your kids into BLM and LGBTQ+ activists,” one online user tweeted on Libs of TikTok. “There is also a drag queen on her packaging.
“Skittles woke up completely.”
Twitter user InnerPeaceKarma was more succinct.
“Boycott Skittles” they tweeted. “Simply.”
But as of Saturday night, the post had 1.8 million views.
The backlash came after Skittles’ parent company, the Wrigley Company, part of Mars Incorporated, swapped out its rainbow-colored packaging for new LGBTQ-friendly illustrations and messages.
Predominantly black and white, the new packs include phrases like “Black Trans Lives Matter” and “Joy is Resistance.” Newsweek reported.
Designed in partnership with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the redesigned Skittles mark the fourth year the candy maker has partnered with the organization to promote tolerance and inclusion.
Though many brands have been pushing similar messages for years, conservatives have embraced them in recent months, notably with a widespread boycott of Bud Light over the beer company’s association with Mulvaney.
The boycott of the once-popular beer has slumped Anheuser-Busch’s profits by nearly 30%, with core value loss estimated at up to $4 billion.
Disney World amusement park and Target stores in Florida also faced anti-gay reactions.
Skittles seems to be the newest target now.
“Time to give them the old Budweiser treatment” Twitter user Phoenix2A replied on Libs from TikTok.
Another commenter said, “Time to light them up.”
Melissa Harris, vice president of strategic partnerships at GLAAD, defended the group’s collaboration with Skittles.
“The continued support and partnership we receive from Skittles helps us advance our important mission of advancing the dialogue that leads to cultural change,” she said in a statement.
“Skittles’ mission this year to highlight LGBTQ+ stories is a profound initiative that can maximize awareness, support and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community while promoting diversity and inclusion.”
