Photos of a Barefoot Wine bottle commemorating LGBTQ+ Pride Month with rainbow colors and a range of pronouns have sparked boycott calls.
In recent weeks, the number of large U.S. brands being targeted with boycott calls has grown dramatically, as different companies unveil products supporting Pride Month, which takes place every June. Companies supporting the LGBTQ+ community outside of Pride Month have also faced backlash from conservatives.
Brands including Bud Light, Target, Nike, Adidas and Barstool Sports have been at the center of a furor over LGBTQ+ marketing. This comes at a time when anti-transgender sentiment appears to be growing in the United States, with bills targeting transgender people sweeping through Republican state legislatures.
Barefoot Wine has become the latest company to face the furor of detractors after photos of its Pride-themed bottle were shared on Twitter recently.
The bottle of sparkling rosé wine features the colors of the rainbow, and a sticker stating that the E & J Gallo Winery-owned brand has been a "proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community since 1988."
The back of the bottle's labeling features a range of pronouns, including "She/Her," "He/Him," "They/Them," and "Xe/Xem."
Social-media personality Joey Mannarino shared the pair of photos on Twitter, adding the caption: "I thought Bud Light was bad, but Barefoot has taken it to the next level. They have pronouns on their bottles now and they didn't stop at the usual, they even added xe/xem. I think it's time to boycott this c*** immediately."
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) June 17, 2023I thought Bud Light was bad, but Barefoot has taken it to the next level.
They have pronouns on their bottles now and they didn’t stop at the usual, they even added xe/xem.
I think it’s time to boycott this crap immediately.
And we already know what the secret ingredient is. pic.twitter.com/DEX2vvJJiS
"I love this! I'm so glad these idiot alcohol execs are doing this," wrote one Twitter user in reaction. "I've had such an easy time avoiding the drinking thing and I feel great! Thanks dumba**** for breaking your companies while making me healthier."
"Never had it and never will," tweeted another, while a host of other Twitter users slammed the addition of the pronouns.
Amid the complaints, an overwhelming majority of other Twitter users spoke out against Mannarino's call for a boycott.
"You truly do you have a blessed and privilege life if this is the only thing you can be upset about," wrote one. "I'm sitting here worried about bills, my health, praying to God I have enough money saved up so I can have money for my son when he starts school. Spend more time being thankful."
Another wrote on Twitter that Barefoot Wine "has been doing their pride bottle for over a decade. If you drank wine ever you'd know that," adding, "You do realize you could just WALK PAST the Pride wine [...] like no one forced you to pick this up."
"Now Barefoot wine is on the never-ending list of companies free market-supporting conservatives are boycotting," another posted on the social-media site.
On its website, Barefoot Wine states: "A proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community since 1988, Barefoot believes in accepting everyone exactly as they are. Today, we're proud to build up and support LGBTQ+ communities around the world."
The company lists a range of its initiatives and pro-LGBTQ+ gestures over the decades. Theses include donating "$500 to every LGBTQ community center" in California to celebrate marriage equality in the state back in 2008. Barefoot was also the official wine sponsor of WorldPride in 2019.
Newsweek has contacted representatives of Barefoot via email for comment.
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Another beverage brand, Bud Light, was targeted in April for a small branded partnership it had with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. In a video posted to Instagram on April 1, Mulvaney said that the beer brand had sent her a can with her face on it to commemorate 365 days of her living as a woman.
Mulvaney's partnership with Bud Light drew condemnation from several conservative figures, including Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw. Many issued calls for a boycott of the beer brand, and there has been overt scrutiny of an increasing number of companies over their pro-LGBTQ+ marketing initiatives.
Amid the fallout and reports of plummeting sales, some Bud Light executives took a leave of absence, including marketing head Alissa Heinerscheid and Daniel Blake, who oversees marketing for parent company Anheuser-Busch's mainstream brands.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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