You know things are bad when Coca-Cola’s hired thugs are assaulting LGBT protestors in Sochi, and the company confirms that they’re not sorry. Out in the City and G3 Magazine Awards (a British awards thingy) just dumped Coke from their list of nominees. Trinity College has banned all Coke products for the duration of the Olympics, and Wesleyan students held a coke-dumping rally. Organizers are now pulling together an “Anything But Coke” campaign.
So we probably shouldn’t be surprised that the company is now blocking the words “gay” and “lesbian” from a weird promotion on their website.
The whole idea is actually pretty dumb: Coke has a site where you type a word and then that word will appear on a virtual can of Coke. Why would you want this? How is this promoting anything? Who could possibly care about this terrible idea?
The whole thing would have died in obscurity if someone hadn’t noticed that while you are allowed to write “straight” or “hetero” on your can, the site bans “gay” as a bad word. Whoops. This is probably due to laziness on Coke’s part — most likely, they just purchased a cheap bad-words list such as the one that prevents you from naming your Pokémon “Vulva,” and didn’t bother to check it for words that shouldn’t be banned.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
But so far there’s been no apology from Coke (surprise) and no fix to the website. And plenty of other anti-gay slurs (“faggy,” etc) are still allowed. Oh well.
Swearing off Coke products isn’t easy, of course, since they own so many different beverages. Fortunately, Coke has assembled a helpful list of all the brands.
jovad2012
Makes me glad I have always purchased Pepsi products
viveutvivas
This was a Coke promotion in South Africa, if I recall correctly.
You may be interested to know that the Queerty website itself is banned from internet café computers in South African branches of Virgin Active gyms. That’s Virgin, as in Richard Branson.
viveutvivas
@jovad2012, do you mean the same Pepsi that is a major donor to the Republican party.
alterego1980
Another good excuse to not drink soda…
SpunkyBunks
C’mon gays! Let’s give Coke some hell! McDonalds, you’re next bitches!
skcord
I honestly don’t think I know anyone who would drink a soda without liquor in it! Who just drinks a can of coke? That seems so unsatisfying and likely to make me thirstier.
Snapdragon
Damn now why they ( Coke ) have to go and do that ! Something else I have to give up now !
Icebloo
I stopped drinking sodas years ago. They are POISON ! Coke has always been an evil company so I will gladly join the boycott of their other products.
Bjk
Email them your concerns at:
https://secure.thecoca-colacompany.com/ssldocs/mail/eQuery_product.shtml
Stefano
I don’t drink soda and i don’t eat clown’s shit. 🙂
balehead
Richard Branson talks out of the side of his mouth….
balehead
Would you feel better if Coke said they were “appalled” and still did nothing….
KDub
Why stop with Coke? I think you guys should ban air too. After all, God made it….and y’all are always saying He’s a big ole phobe! Try it lol.
ted72
@KDub: I’m not boycotting air as it exists and no one owns it. I will, however, boycott the belief of any imaginary entity. As an adult, I put away childish things like the belief of a god. I don’t hate god, as I can’t hate something that doesn’t exists – the same goes for unicorns.
Greg Garavani
@Icebloo: Couldn’t agree more, I don’t see what people see in drinking that crap? So disgusting and disappointing, but should’ve known Coke wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to make money than to actually care about people. Psh, fuck ’em all.
Harley
Drinking all that high fructose corn syrup over a lifetime leads to type II diabetese and obesity. Stick with tea. Better for ya.
balehead
If you go to the “Frito Lay App” for chip flavors and type in Gay..it will say keep it PG and what would your mother think?…..
furreroze
Um that has been changed. They do apologize. Go to their site and you will see it. If you still can not find it, it is under the home tab and scroll to the bottom of the page. click the we apologize link and read.
LadywithaLamp
I haven’t had soda in years…Fast Food and soda pop french fries all that stuff is crap…That ANY self-respecting gay person would consume those things is beyond my ken.