Ben & Jerry’s is coming for Australian’s taste buds, announcing a pledge that no one in Oz can order two scoops of the same flavor until marriage equality becomes law of the land Down Under.
Ben & Jerry’s currently operates 26 stores across the nation, and is placing the ban on same-flavored scoops as a statement of opposition to the country’s stance on same-sex marriage, where it is currently illegal for two men or two women to wed. The “ban” is part of the company’s push for global LGBTQ rights.
Currently 70 percent of Australians support same-sex marriage, and the push for its legalization is an ongoing conversation in the country.
“We are proud to be standing alongside The Equality Campaign to continue the fight for marriage equality in Australia,” Imogen Rugg, Ben & Jerry’s Australia spokesperson, said in a statement to HuffPost. “Ben & Jerry’s has a long and proud history of commitment to social justice, including LGBTQI rights and marriage equality. This commitment is grounded in our company’s core values and an unshakable belief that everyone deserves full and equal civil rights.”
In conjunction with the ban on same-flavored scoops, Ben & Jerry’s has also established a postal system of sorts across its Australian stores. Customers and supporters of marriage equality can write messages advocating for the legalization of same-sex marriage, with Ben & Jerry’s staff prepared to deliver their messages directly to local MPs.
Ben & Jerry’s aims to have all messages from customers delivered before the final parliamentary session of the season on June 13th.
Ben & Jerry’s has long used its product to create high-visibility statements of support in the fight for LGBTQ rights on a global level. In 2015, the company renamed its beloved Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor to “I Dough, I Dough” in celebration of America legalizing same-sex marriage. The company made a similar move in 2012 in the UK, renaming their “Oh! My! Apple Pie!” flavor “Apple-y Ever After” in support of coalitions pushing for the legalization of same-sex marriage throughout England.