BarkBox employee compared Pride to MAGA in leaked memo. The CEO apologized.
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Organizers say political pressure is motivation to continue celebrating Pride
Organizers say political pressure is motivation to continue organizing and celebrating Pride, although some corporate support dwindles.
Less than a week into Pride Month, BarkBox is receiving backlash for a leaked memo that compares an LGBTQ+ themed pet collection to the Make America Great Again movement. Now the monthly dog subscription service's CEO is looking to make amends.
The memo, shared to Reddit this week, informed a group of employees that the monthly dog subscription service would cease advertisements for its Pride collection, which includes several Pride and rainbow accessories. The memo was shared by one employee to a small group of others, BarkBox confirmed to USA TODAY.
"While celebrating Pride is something we may value, we need to acknowledge that the current climate makes this promotion feel more like a political statement than a universally joyful moment for all dog people," the memo shared on Reddit reads. "If we wouldn't feel comfortable running a promotion centered around another politically charged symbol (like a MAGA-themed product), it's worth asking whether this is the right moment to run this particular campaign."
BarkBox CEO: 'It wasn't good'
In a social media statement shared on June 4, BarkBox founder and CEO Matt Meeker apologized for the leaked memo.
"I do not agree with the content of the message," Meeker wrote. "It wasn't good, it doesn't reflect our values and I'm deeply sorry that it happened."
As of June 6, BarkBox's Pride collection was promoted on the BarkBox website. Since the leaked memo, Meeker shared that 100% of the proceeds from the collection will be donated to the LGBTQ resource, Kaleidoscope Youth Center in Columbus, Ohio.
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What else did the BarkBox memo say?
"After some thoughtful discussion today with leadership, we've made the decision to pause all paid ads and lifecycle marketing pushes for the Pride kit effective immediately," the memo shared on Reddit begins.
"This isn't about backing away from support − it's about tone and ensuring our marketing remains inclusive and welcoming to everyone in our community. Right now, pushing this promo risks unintentionally sending the message that 'we're not for you' to a large portion of our audience," the memo concludes.
BarkBox did not confirm when the memo was sent, or by who.
What is BarkBox's Pride collection?
BarkBox's Pride collection features more than 25 LGBTQ+ themed toys, including a rainbow tug toy, "slay the drag queen" plush and "gaylien," an alien plushy with a T-shirt that reads, "Take me to your leather," a reference to the queer leather community.
These items an be added to any BarkBox for an upcharge. A typical BarkBox, which is $24 a month, includes two toys and two treats each month.
More Pride Month: Trump's actions on LGBTQ+ issues in Pride Month criticized as 'bullying' by advocates
Memo leak follows other national brands moving away from DEI
The memo follows a string of companies who have eradicated or pulled back on DEI − diversity, equity and inclusion − programs, including Target, Walmart, Amazon and McDonald's.
The DEI rollbacks began after President Donald Trump took office. As soon as he could, the president issued executive orders to dismantle DEI by putting pressure on federal contractors to end "illegal DEI discrimination" and direct federal agencies to draw up lists of companies that should be investigated for their DEI policies.
And while Trump has been successful in part during his first 100 days in office, there are still countless major companies publicly backing DEI, including Costco, American Express, Apple and Levi's.
Contributing: Jessica Gunn, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
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