Unilever are out of touch with 2021 with their Golden Gaytime
Why are Unilever and their Streets Ice Cream out of touch with the times ?
Australian Streets Golden Gaytime has a combination of toffee and vanilla flavoured ice cream, dipped in scrumptious choc coating and covered in delicious biscuit pieces.
Golden Gaytime ( In New Zealand the same ice cream are called Cookie Crumble according to Wikipedia) is a popular ice cream snack that is made and distributed by the Streets confectionery company in Australia, and first released in 1959.
In 2021 are the name Golden Gaytime, where the word gay has a very different meaning than it had in 1959. Today Golden Gaytime are offensive towards the LGBTQ community.
If a co-worker in your office walked in and said «they had a gay weekend», would you assume the definition of gay as being light-hearted and carefree ? Or would you feel offended ?
Equally, if the same co-worker said «that’s so gay», would you take this to be an offensive word for foolish, stupid, or unimpressive ? Or would you feel offended ?
Majority of the members of the LGBTQ community would be offended.
In 1959, the Streets confectionery company in Australia released Golden Gaytime to the market, becoming an Australian icon. But let’s think about this product name, taking away the sentimentality, what does its name mean today?
With the modern definition of gay, a homosexual person. Would this product now be called Golden Homosexual-time ? Or would you feel offended ?
Golden Gaytime within the last few months has not only distributed ice cream, they have also created two new cross promotions, one with Kellogg’s coco pops and one with Marvels popcorn, they have also released a Streets golden Gaytime eggsellence easter egg.
This means they have not only maintained a historical label but they are developing it for current times, and with that I call on the company to update to a modern definition on the word gay.
In 2020, three well published brands renamed due to racism, redskins became red ripper, chicos became cheekies and coon cheese became cheer. In early 2021, Mr potato head became potato head as Hasbro became gender neutral. Icons live on.
My question is simply, as times change and words change, shouldn’t sexual identity be held in the same regard as racism and gender neutrality? I believe so, for we are all equal, not only to be sensitive to the LGBTQ+ community, but to also reflect that times have changed since 1959.
Unilever and their Streets Ice Cream changing the name of Golden Gaytime are a small step for ice cream, but one giant leap for LGBTQ community.
You can sign the petition at change.org here.
You can contact Unilever and their Streets Ice Cream here.