Gay man demands ‘Golden Gaytime’ ice cream ditch its ‘offensive’ name. Not everybody agrees
(Streets/YouTube/streetsgoldengaytime)
An online petition calling for iconic Australian ice cream Golden Gaytime to rebrand because its “outdated” name is “offensive” to the LGBT+ community has sparked outrage among, er, the LGBT+ community.
Brian Mc, a gay man from Melbourne, started the petition saying that the ice cream’s name held a different meaning than when it was first released in 1959 by the Streets confectionary company. He cited three other brands that rebranded their items in 2020 because of racist connotations.
“Under the law, they are seen the same, discrimination means being treated unfairly or not as well as other because of a protected characteristic like age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race or disability,” Mc wrote.
He argued in 2021 the meaning of the word “gay” is overtly related to a person’s sexuality, and as such, Streets should change the name of the ice cream treat to reflect modern sensibilities.
“As part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I believe my sexual identity is owned by me, not a brand and that the outdated meaning no longer applies,” Mc said. “Isn’t it time for this double entendre to end?”
The petition has now gained over 1,100 signatures. Mc said he did not felt it was his “place to tell Streets what to call their rebranded product”, but he said it was “time that Golden Gaytime is called out for being outdated”.
However, many in the LGBT+ community disagree, and are up in arms about the idea.
Renaming the Golden Gaytime would be homophobic
— Shari (@cats2019stan) March 24, 2021
what call? no gay is asking for this. in fact, every gay is asking for a golden gaytime https://t.co/CmsJuJAclp— ruby innes (@rubyinnes) March 24, 2021
https://twitter.com/_patmurray/status/1374535690403205123
https://twitter.com/graffekta/status/1374548721602465793
Streets said in a statement to The Daily Mail that the first Golden Gaytime was released in 1959 “when the word ‘gay’ had not yet been applied to sexual preference”.
The brand said: “The origin of the Gaytime name was and remains related to having a joyous or happy time and was meant to capture the pleasure that comes with enjoying an ice cream.
“The Gaytime name is not and never has intended to cause offence, and your petition is the first that we have been made aware of.”
Mc said he’s been “personally attacked” for speaking up about Golden Gaytimes. He added: “I’ve been called a snowflake, bonders ridiculous, a roll and worst all for saying that Golden Gaytime is an outdated brand in 2021.”
“I’m not calling for the product to be cancelled,” Mc added. “I’m calling for the product to remove gay from its name.”
