After an Australian man launched a petition to change the name of iconic ice-cream Golden Gaytime, members of the LGBTQIA+ community have hit back at the suggestion that the sweet treat’s name is offensive.
A person known as Brian Mc has launched a petition to change the name of the Golden Gaytime ice-cream – made by ice-cream brand Streets, which is owned by Unilever.
In the petition’s description, Brian Mc said, “In 2021, Gay’s meaning primarily is related to sexuality. As a gay man I have needed to fight to be myself, overcoming many things in my life, I am a proud gay man.”
“As a part of the LGBTQIA+ community I believe my sexual identity is owned by me, not a brand and that the outdated meaning no longer applies. Isn’t it time for this double entendre to end?”
They also pointed to three Australian brand names that were changed in 2020 that were changed because of their association with racist language: Coon Cheese renamed to Cheer Cheese, Chikos became Cheekies and Redskins became Red Ripper.
However, members of the LGBTQIA+ community have pointed out that ‘gay’ is not a slur, saying that in fact, association with the ice cream is a positive thing for gay Australians.
Golden Gaytime want to change their name, but imo it couldn’t be MORE offensive to change it. Being gay is a good thing????
— Frame Fella (┛❍ᴥ❍)┛彡┻━┻ (@EnvelopianDrums) March 24, 2021
frankly the most homophobic thing golden gaytime could do is change the name
— jackson langford (@jacksonlangford) March 23, 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
Literally not a single gay person in this country is mad about the golden gaytime lmao https://t.co/LSpK5Jos91
— show it to me Rachel (@ileventeen) March 24, 2021
Gay social media influencer Kurt Coleman said in a Facebook post, “AS IF you’d rename GoldenGayTime ice cream…No one cares…I’m gay and never questioned it, it’s an ice cream hun. Get over it.”
In fact, a counter-petition to maintain the name of the Golden Gaytime has been launched. The description of the petition says:
“Gaytimes are iconically Australian and it’s only fitting that a country that hosts the world’s largest LGBTQIA+ street parade has an ice cream that is equally as GAY! It deserves to be celebrated not hated!”
At the time of writing, the petition to keep the name Gaytime has more signatures than the petition to change the name: 1,632 to 1,147.
A second petition has also been started to keep the name, this one with just under 500 signatures.
The petition’s description reads:
“The Golden Gaytime is a famed Aussie icon. It was possibly the only positive representation of the word “gay” in Australian culture for quite some time.”
“Many gay Australians feel pleasure at seeing the Golden Gaytime name in supermarkets and it continues to associate the word “gay” with positive experiences.”
“How many gay Australians have had a quiet chuckle over having a Gaytime with their friends? Almost all of us.”
“There is a petition to change the name, talking about other recent name changes like Cheer cheese, and Cheekies lollies, which seems to have entirely misunderstood why those changes were important: they used a word that was considered a slur by the people the word described. “Gay” is not a slur.”
In an official statement, a Streets spokesperson said, “the first Streets Gaytime was released in Australia during 1959 when the word ‘gay’ had not yet been applied to gender preference.”
“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.”
Featured Image: Streets
