Until gay marriage is legalized, you won't be able to have double chocolate ice-cream
Image: REUTERS/Fred Prouser
In a show of support for gay rights, one of the world’s most recognized ice-cream brands is imposing a harsh new rule for its shops Down Under.
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand says it will refuse to sell two scoops of the same flavor in Australia until the country’s marriage law is reformed to give gays and lesbians the right to marry. It isn’t the first time the company has waded into the political fray. The company has used clever ice cream names to make statements about money in politics, the Black Lives Matter movement, climate change, and many more topics.
“We are… encouraging our fans to contact their MPs to tell them that the time has come—make marriage equality legal!” the company says in a statement. “Love comes in all flavors!”
In 2014, research firm Crosby/Textor published the results of a survey of 1,000 Australians about their opinion on gay marriage and 72% said they supported making same-sex marriage legal—a number that is expected to have grown. Currently, Australia’s 1961 Marriage Act does not recognize same-sex marriage, including if couples obtain marriage licenses overseas.
The Australian Senate in February released a report on how to review the marriage law in parliamentary debate. The lawmakers will need to hold a free vote to set the wheels in motion for reforming the law. In a free vote, legislators are allowed to vote according to their own personal conscious, detached from the official stance of their respective political parties.
Asked why Ben & Jerry’s has chosen to take action in Australia and not other countries with laws on the books banning gay marriage, the company said such initiatives are started on a regional basis. “Our regions work somewhat independently and chose social mission campaigns that are relevant to their area,” a spokeswoman told Quartz. “Australia chose to focus on marriage equality, which is in line with our company’s values.”
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