Skittles is getting pushback from conservatives who have soured on the popular candy’s new “woke” pro-LGBTQ packaging — threatening a repeat of the boycott that cost Anheuser-Busch billions of dollars after Bud Light partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. One online user tweeted on Libs of TikTok, saying Skittles is trying to turn kids into BLM & LGBTQ+ activists and the packaging also features a drag queen. Many social media users commented in favor of this post. But Saturday night, the post had 1.8 million views. The backlash ensued after Skittles’ parent company, the Wrigley Company, which in turn is owned by Mars Incorporated, swapped its rainbow-colored packaging for new LGBTQ+ friendly illustrations and messages.
The new packages are predominantly black and white and include phrases like “Black Trans Lives Matter” and “Joy is Resistance.” The new-look Skittles were designed in collaboration with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and is the fourth year the candymaker partnered with the organization to promote tolerance and inclusion. Although many brands have promoted similar messages for years, conservatives have seized on it in recent months, most notably a widespread boycott of Bud Light over the beer company’s affiliation with Mulvaney. #Queer Up Business