BANGKOK (AP) – A Thai ice cream company owned by Unilever has apologized for using a derogatory term for gay men in a Facebook posting marking the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage, a spokeswoman said June 29.
The post on the Facebook page of Wall’s Thailand, which was quickly removed, showed black bean-flavored ice cream with the caption #LOVEWINS – the hashtag used by supporters of the court verdict. “Black beans” is a demeaning slang term for gay men that originated from a famous pedophilia case in Thailand.
The illustration, posted a day after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages, caused an online uproar in Thailand, with some commentators calling it “low” and “discriminatory.”
On Twitter, some users condemning the illustration included the hashtag #RIPWallsThailand in their tweets.
Wall’s Thailand replaced the post with a new picture of rainbow-colored ice cream and issued an apology on June 28, saying they were “sorry if the post created some misunderstanding” and that they “did not mean to cause discomfort to anyone.”
Unilever Thai spokeswoman Aranya Luepradid confirmed June 29 that the apology came from the company.
Wall’s Thailand is part of Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods conglomerate that also makes Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
Thailand is one of the most tolerant countries in Asia for gays and a top gay tourist destination.
