A British company is being slammed for virtue-signaling with the release of a new sandwich aimed at the LGBT community.

The United Kingdom retailer, Marks & Spencer, got little appreciation and plenty of backlash for offering a twist to the classic BLT by adding guacamole to the lettuce, bacon, and tomato filled sandwich, wrapping it in packaging featuring the rainbow flag symbolic of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride.

shame on the good folks over at @marksandspencer for turning our culture and identity into a sandwich. making an absolute mockery of lgbtq people #lgbtq #lgbt #queer #pride pic.twitter.com/PA7Q1nrXfG

— baby you’re a rich man (@robynetzan) May 2, 2019

The sandwich ignited a wave of criticism as Marks & Spencer was blasted for mocking the LGBTQ community and using its “propaganda” to turn a profit.

Oh dear @marksandspencer I expected better from you. I don’t need an #LGBT sandwich thank you very much. You have got your gaydar commercialisation wrong on this in so many ways ? pic.twitter.com/Mg3jZ2JxGT

— jackie crozier (@jackiecrozier) May 4, 2019

The propaganda continues.

This one is from Marks & Spencer . The Lettuce, Guacamole, Bacon + Tomato sandwich.
LGBT sandwich.

??‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/apH6Wj2UmX

— Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) May 3, 2019

I identify as #lesbian @marksandspencer not a f*cking lettuce. why don’t you make an ethnic minority or disability sandwich while you’re at it!! #lgbt #ridiculous #marketing ??? pic.twitter.com/itbrRZbiPL

— Emma Westwood (@emmawestwood) May 4, 2019

“Is there no cynical virtue-signalling depth struggling companies won’t now plunge to make a profit?” Piers Morgan tweeted in response to the sandwich.

Gay sandwiches? Is there no cynical virtue-signalling depth struggling companies won’t now plunge to make a profit? Shame on you ⁦@marksandspencer⁩, this is truly pathetic. pic.twitter.com/XXpESUleqF

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 4, 2019

The “Good Morning Britain” host slammed the idea as “truly pathetic” on Twitter as he unloaded in a series of responses to the marketing by the UK supermarket.

“Hi Piers. We have given our popular BLT sandwich a twist to celebrate Pride and raise £10,000 for akt the national LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness charity,” a spokesperson for the retailer responded to Morgan, prompting him to ask, “Will there be a white male straight sandwich option, or would that be deemed offensive?”

Will there be a white male straight sandwich option, or would that be deemed offensive? https://t.co/vzbq77cAGI

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 4, 2019

What about gay vegans?
Disgraceful that you’ve marginalised them in this way. https://t.co/vzbq77cAGI

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 4, 2019

Others on social media also blasted the company for its sandwich.

Can’t even have a sandwich in peace
Literally ramped down your throat
Now @marksandspencer is #woke!
All the Woke millennials now working in HR/marketing!
Totally consumed by #GenderStudies pseudoscience
Bin identity politics – just respect everyone pic.twitter.com/t139asNomR

— Arthur Sleepe (@jeografy) May 3, 2019

LGBT people: “it’d be nice if people could stop abusing us when we hold hands in public, we could teach LGBT lessons in schools and if the BBC could stop debating our existence on live air that’d be grea-

Capitalism: “what we’re really sensing here is you want your own sandwich” pic.twitter.com/uIixEel2pq

— Louis Staples (@LouisStaples) May 3, 2019

Not going to lie but when my OH sent me a picture of the #lgbtsandwich his work now sells I didn’t go ‘awww’ nice one @marksandspencer for using an entire community for publicity and profit. ? pic.twitter.com/mRdKDq1fFH

— Hannah Faulkes (@hannahfaulkes) May 2, 2019

Do you have to prove you’re LGBT to buy this?

— Geraint Roberts (@Gezzyroberts) May 4, 2019

Some did find the idea praiseworthy.

Yes it’s just a sandwich, but it goes a long way to normalising being LGBT doesn’t it? Seeing something that supports you on every shelf in a massive shop. no?

— Sam (@SAMiCURE) May 3, 2019

It’s a shame I can’t eat the M&S #LGBTSandwich but I’m really glad such a famous corporate company is on our side.

— Jess (@JessEastoe91) May 4, 2019

They do loads for LGBT communities internally within their business and through external support including the funds this raises… easy to criticise brands for ‘rainbow washing’ but by god I’d have fucking killed for my mum to have to see an LGBT sandwich when I was growing up.

— Jerry Daykin (@jdaykin) May 3, 2019

“M&S has an amazing LGBTQ+ colleague network and with them we’ll be celebrating Pride 2019. For the second year running, we have created a sandwich as part of the celebrations and have received great feedback from both colleagues and customers,” a spokesperson for Marks & Spencer said in a statement, according to Fox News.

“Alongside this, we’re also donating £10,000 to [The Albert Kennedy Trust,] the national LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness charity,” the company said.

“The BLT is one of our most loved sandwiches and we’re really excited to give it a delicious twist for our customers to enjoy while celebrating Pride season,” Marks & Spencer said, according to The Sun which confirmed that the company was also donating 1,000 Euro to BeLonG To Youth Services, a charity which supports LGBTQ youth in Ireland.

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Frieda Powers

Senior Staff Writer
Frieda@bizpacreview.com

Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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