BarkBox, a company that sends a monthly themed box of dog toys and treats to subscribers, sent out notice that it's next box would be LGBTQ-themed.
Jenna Ellis of Jenna Ellis in the Morning on American Family Radio had signed up for her dogs, Tod and Copper (right), but told the company she didn't want the gay-themed box. Barkbox cancelled her two boxes for June without any problem, and Ellis thanked them on X.
In response to a different X post about the theme of the box, BarkBox responded that this June’s theme was “Backyard BBQ” and that the Pride theme is an additional add-on for consumers who would want it since they understand it would not be suitable to everyone. However, Ellis made it aware that the agent she talked to did not indicate the availability of an alternate theme.
Newsweek picked up the story, and the LGBTQ community started firing at BarkBox.
“The LGBTQ community has said 'We can't have children, so our pets are basically like our kids. You're now slamming us, and we're cancelling our subscriptions.' They're canceling more subscriptions now to BarkBox than conservatives,” Ellis says.
Ellis told the the gang on Today's Issues (TI) that someone then leaked an internal discussion at BarkBox saying they weren't backing away from their LGBTQ support but wanted to be more strategic.
“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 message states.
In the same leaked email, which can be viewed in the New York Post, they compared Pride products to MAGA products since both carry a politically charged message, which the company should be careful to promote going forward. The Pride community found that offensive, resulting in the CEO of BarkBox Matt Meeker issuing a public apology.
“I do not agree with the content of the message. It wasn’t good, it doesn’t reflect our values, and I’m deeply sorry that it happened,” Meeker’s apology states.
Meeker then stated that they would donate 100% of the revenue from this collection to an organization that supports the LGBTQ community, which is a greater amount than they have contributed in previous years.
Ellis says now they're making everyone angry – conservatives for not actually divorcing from gay pride, and gays for not shoving it down everyone's throats. Ellis has told Newsweek that she would be canceling her subscription in response.
TI host Wesley Wildmon summed it up.
“They should probably stay out of politics altogether. That would have been the better move, exactly what I told Newsweek.”
