McDonald’s facing boycott in Taiwan over this ‘repugnant’ gay advert
Men were sprayed with a ‘corrosive substance’ outside of a London McDonald’s in anti-gay attack. (Matt Cardy/Getty)
A McDonald’s ad featuring a same-sex couple has been met with hostility in Taiwan.
The ad features a man coming out to his father in a branch of McDonald’s – because apparently that’s a thing that people do, by writing his name on a coffee cup.
He writes “I like boys” on the cup – and his apparently-furious father storms off, leaving the man upset.
However, the father returns with a pen, and amends the message on the cup to read: “I accept that you like boys”.
It’s cringey enough to make you puke up chicken nuggets, but that’s not the reason the ad has caused controversy in Taiwan.
The Alliance of Taiwan Religious Groups for the Protection of Family has announced a boycott of the company, citing the ad’s “polluted” moral values of love and acceptance.
The group fumed: “Because McDonald’s is frequented by many children, it is especially important to oppose the promotion of same-sex behaviour.”
“It opposes all advertising that miseducates children on sexual behavior” and “rebukes and boycotts all enterprises that are polluting the next generation.”
According to Adweek, a spokesperson fumed: “Even if you want to just take a leak at a McDonald’s bathroom, you can’t help but feel polluted.”
Which makes perfect sense, to be honest: someone might try to come out to you by writing ‘I like boys’ in pee at the urinal.
McDonald’s faced criticism in 2014 due to its sponsorship of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
Rights campaigner Peter Tatchell delivered a 100,000-strong petition to a local London branch of McDonald’s ahead of the event, urging the company to condemn Russia’s homophobic laws.
