With the debate for marriage equality taking place in England’s Parliament this month, Ben & Jerry’s UK arm has renamed their Apple Pie “flavour” as “Apple-y Ever After.”
It echoes their celebration of Vermont’s passage of gay marriage in 2009 with the “rebranding” of Chubby Hubby as “Hubby Hubby.”
Now, this is definitely a praiseworthy endeavor in some respects, but we wonder if they could throw some money back to the gay community, since they’re sort of profiting off “the cause.”
Their language says their goal is to “raise awareness about the importance of marriage equality,” but nowhere does it say they’ll donate to pro-LGBT groups.
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.
Maybe that’s a political/legal thing—it might not look so great if Ben & Jerry’s was essentially paying lobbyists to beseech members of Parliament to support the cause. But, if there are legal impediments toward supporting a political cause, at least throw some of the proceeds towards an unimpeachable charity like the Ali Forney Center, which houses homeless youth in NYC. Surely London has some appropriate analogue.
Ben & Jerry’s does happened to be owned by Unilever, a massive company that might have to put gags on political donations for certain reasons. But MAC Cosmetics is owned by the massive Estee Lauder, and they manage to sponsor a Viva Glam campaign that gives 100% of its proceeds to AIDS charity work.
The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, the company’s charitable arm, mostly sponsors fair-labor organizations. So where’s the Worker’s Rights-branded Vanilla Ice Cream?
fagburn
I checked with Ben & Jerry’s – they haven’t really “renamed” the apple pie flavour in the UK.
You can’t buy tubs of this.
It doesn’t really exist much beyond a press release…
http://www.fagburn.com/2012/03/ben-jerrys-i-scream-at-ice-cream.html
Alexa
You didn’t actually need to check with Ben & Jerry’s, it’s right there at the first link:
“Apple-y Ever After” will be symbolically launched to raise awareness for this issue and will not be an actual pint, but only available in selected scoop shops.
Their aim is to raise awareness, which they do a very good job at.
fagburn
As I said, I checked after reading that mealy-mouthed link which is hidden away on their website, and clearly wasn’t on the press release.
If you can’t buy tubs of it why did they sound out a graphic of… a tub of it.
They’re certainly good at raising awareness of Ben & Jerry’s!
fagburn
PS Queerty the UK (not England) parliament is not going to debate gay marriage this month.
They’ve only said they are going to have a “consultation”- and a date for that hasn’t even been set yet.
Robert in NYC
The marriage equality consultation is due to begin this week in fact under Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone, part of the conservative/lib dem coalition cabinet. Consultations are a prerequisite in the UK to get bills introduced. It’s expected to end some time in June after which a first draft of a bill to introduce marriage equality will be issued later in the year for a debate in Parliament. Perhaps this will explain the process further.
Consultation – means involving the public in the work of government – has become an integral part of the policy-making process. Every year hundreds of consultations are launched at all levels of government. It’s a much more open process than in the U.S., more transparency for the people, about making government more open and policies more effective by listening to and taking on-board views of the public and interested groups.
Listening to the public has a number of specific benefits. It:
•allows the government to tap the widest source of information possible and improve the quality of decisions reached
•alerts policy makers to any concerns and issues not picked up
•helps to monitor existing policy in order to see whether or not changes are needed
All consultations follow the Cabinet Office’s code of practice. This helps ensure that a common standard for consulting the public exists across government. When the government consults it must:
•build a realistic timeframe for the consultation
•be clear whom is being consulted, about what and for what purpose
•ensure the document is as simple and concise as possible. It should include a summary and clearly set out questions to address
•always distribute documents as widely as possible, also using electronic means
•make sure that all responses are carefully and open-mindedly analysed and the results made widely available. It must also give reasons for final decisions.
Then a vote is taken in Parliament and if passed, heads to the House of Lords for approval, then to the Queen for signature.
fagburn
Thanks Robert.
“The marriage equality consultation is due to begin this week…”
No, it isn’t actually.
Might I suggest in future trying not to be quite so patronising, especially if you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about?
Who knows – people might like you more.
Toodle-pip.
x
tallskin2
And regarding “consultation”
consulting with bigots about gay marriage is unwise to say the least.
Why the fuck should the opinions of gay haters be taken into account when equalising marriage?
The referendum in california on gay marriage went well, didn’t it
fagburn
And finally Robert…
Are you aware that every single thing you’ve stated here is wrong?
“The marriage equality consultation is due to begin this week in fact under Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone, part of the conservative/lib dem coalition cabinet. Consultations are a prerequisite in the UK to get bills introduced. It’s expected to end some time in June after which a first draft of a bill to introduce marriage equality will be issued later in the year for a debate in Parliament.”
Well done!
Robert in NYC
@fagburn: Fagburn, why don’t you check out the link below from Pink News UK. The consultation begins TOMORROW! Well done to you too, jackass!
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/03/14/study-says-civil-partnerships-are-treated-like-parents-marriages/
fagburn
You read it on Pink News!!!!???
My sides!
They are wrong – as usual.
They get everything wrong.
Tomorrow a WMS (Written Ministerial Statement) is being submitted to parliament – this is NOT the consultation.
If a date for the consultation was announced it would have got a bit more coverage over here than being mentioned in passing in another Pink News story, trust me.
I phoned the Home Office just to check I wasn’t completely delusional and, yes, no date for the consultation has been set yet – STILL.
email them yourself and check [email protected]
And please stop digging, it’s embarrassing…
The Real Mike in Asheville
@fagburn: Copied directly from the Home Office’s Web-site, under the Equalities section:
Equal civil marriage
Lynne Featherstone announced on 17 September that a public consultation to consider how to make civil marriage available to same-sex couples will begin in March 2012. This would allow any legislative changes to be made before the end of this parliament. The consultation will cover civil marriage for same-sex couples only – not religious marriage or opposite-sex civil partnerships.
*****************
The point of the posting is that Ben & Jerry’s UK arm is participating in raising awareness of marriage equality — they are not the enemy, they are our friends. Does Ben & Jerry’s put their full efforts in this political action? Of course not, they are ice cream makers selling ice cream. But they are also corporate citizens involving themselves in civil rights, and we should appreciate that as part of their marketing and business development, they take action that benefits gay and lesbian rights.
Let us focus on the ENEMY — the Catholic Church in both England and Scotland, among others, are working and lobbying against marriage equality in their respective countries — so save all that venom for them.
fagburn
So has the date been set yet?
Yes or no?
The Real Mike in Asheville
@fagburn: Obviously, no date other than March 2012 has been referenced by the government. I suppose that the actual date that opens the Consultation is tied to when the government completes its study for presentation for Consultation. And I assume that, as often happens in the US, all sorts of intervening actions speed up or slow down the process.
Whether the Home Office/Equalities is prepared for the Consultation in March is not all that important to the point that Ben & Jerry’s is taking action.
The PM, the Home Secretary and the Equalities Under-Secretary have all been out spoken in their unwavering support for civil marriage equality. Potential setbacks have arisen by the Catholic Churches in England and Scotland [the consultation in Scotland is separate from the consultation in England/Wales] among others are attempting to sabotage the government’s effort — and that is exactly why it is important that our supporters, like Ben & Jerry’s, stand tall and take the actions they are that help support marriage equity.
The Real Mike in Asheville
@fagburn: Has the date been set? YES, TODAY, MARCH 15, CONSULTATION IS PUBLISHED!!!
Here is the link from the Home Office/Equalities Web-site:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/about-us/consultations/equal-civil-marriage/
fagburn
Ok.
I have apologised to Stephen at Pink News, but we were told two different things.
Robert in NYC
I also said it was starting today if you recall from a previous post. Pink News didn’t get ir wrong, neither did The Times with a fantastic article by Theresa May, Home Secretary.
The Real Mike in Asheville
@fagburn: Forget about it — the timing of such is unimportant compared to the actual happening.
Isn’t it exciting?! It is one thing that the efforts began under the Labour government, and just amazing that it is the Conservative/Tories are now pursuing this with an all out effort!
And with today’s news that the Archbishop is stepping down, there is going to be much political intrigue to watch: the PM has staked his reputation on gaining marriage-equality, keeping in total line is the Home Secretary and the Equalities Minister. Since the new head of the Church of England is, essentially, a political appointment by the PM, there is going to be much ado about all this.
Even if there is delay and half-steps, those delays and half-steps cannot last long. Should the Conservative government fail to complete this, should the House of Lords interfere by stalling things for a year, when the next Labour government arrives, equality will happen.
Progress up is progress up, and this is all very good news for our fellow gay and lesbian friends across the pond.
Sam
I really wish the US Branch would cover this. It is such a vital issue, and http://tothecenter.com/2012/03/ben-jerrys-apple-y-ever-after-ice-cream-supports-gay-marriage-in-uk/ kind of touches into it too. I just found out about and already I am wishing I were British!
Robert in NYC
@Sam: Jenna Katharine Nelson’s article in that link incorrectly stated that “legislation is coming before Parliament to legalize civil unions.” The UK has had civil partnerships since 2004. She should have said civil marriage for gay couples.