A prominent American cereal company has partnered with an LGBT advocacy group to create a special cereal packaged in a box encouraging people to choose their own pronouns.
Kellogg’s, the parent company of popular cereal brands including Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, Raisin Bran, Rice Krispies and Special K, unveiled its “Together with Pride” campaign in partnership with the GLAAD last week.
The campaign, which has adopted the slogan “Boxes are for cereal, not people,” will last from May 1 to Nov. 30, 2021. It rests on the premise that “No matter who you are, who you love or what pronouns you use, you’re too awesome to fit into a box.”
The Michigan-based company noted on its Instagram page that for every box of “Together with Price” cereal sold, it will donate $3 to GLAAD. Originally founded as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, GLAAD promotes LGBT acceptance in the media.
The front of the cereal box includes the logo for Kellogg’s emblazoned in rainbow colors and the GLAAD logo.
Cartoon characters associated with the company’s brands surround a bowl of rainbow-colored cereal. As a description of the limited-edition cereal on the GLAAD website explains, “the new cereal features berry-flavored rainbow hearts dusted with edible glitter.”
“On each box, supporters can learn about Kellogg’s long standing partnership with GLAAD and secure a tear-out ‘Together Band’ to proudly share and wear their pronouns,” wrote GLAAD’s Events Manager Mark Olson. Pronoun options included on the side of the cereal boxes include the traditional “he/him” and “she/her” in addition to “they/them.”
Pictures shared on social media show that the side of the box also enables people to “add your own” pronouns. The top of the box also has space for people to write their preferred pronouns.
In a statement, GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis praised the pronouns as one of several “initiatives that spotlight the importance of using correct pronouns to create safe and welcoming spaces for trans and nonbinary people.”
Doug VanDeGelde, the general manager of Kellogg’s U.S cereal category, described the new cereal as “the latest chapter in a years long partnership with GLAAD” and “the evolution of the much-loved All Together cereal, which previously was only available online.”
The Together With Pride cereal is not the first time the company has embraced pro-LGBT activism. In 2014, Kellogg’s came under fire for sponsoring a pride parade in Atlanta and including mascot Tony the Tiger in an advertisement in the event’s “pride guide.”
In the ad, Tony the Tiger was pictured next to a message stating, “Wear Your Stripes with Pride.” In the ad, the tiger declared, “At Kellogg’s, we’re an evolving culture that respects and accepts employees’ sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression so that all employees can be authentic and fully engaged.”
The bottom of the ad featured Kellogg’s logo as well as an indication that Kellogg’s was listed by the LGBT activist organization Human Rights Campaign as one of “the best places to work for LGBT equality.”
Kellogg’s new cereal received backlash from conservative Christian groups.
The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Prosperity launched a petition calling on Kellogg’s “stop promoting pro-homosexual ‘pride’ cereal.”
Addressed to Kellogg’s CEO Steve Cahillane, the petition calls on the company to “promote purity and virtue, not lust and vice” and demands that Kellogg’s stop selling the cereal. The petition has accumulated more than 21,000 supporters as of Friday afternoon.
The introduction of the Together With Pride cereal comes as the annual Pride Month recognizing the LGBT movement will kick off next week. Many other companies have already begun promoting rainbow-colored products in recognition of the occasion.
Disney has introduced the “Rainbow Disney Collection,” featuring clothing with rainbow-colored pictures of beloved Disney characters. Additionally, the entertainment company has worked with its partners to create rainbow-colored toys depicting Disney characters.
Last October, Nabisco gave away limited-edition Oreo cookies filled with different colors of the rainbow to celebrate LGBT History Month.
