Ben & Jerry’s is implementing a new policy that will surely ruffle some feathers in Australia.
On May 24, the ice cream company announced that all 26 of its Aussie stores will be barring customers from ordering multiple scoops of the same flavor.
Why? Marriage equality isn’t yet legal in Australia.
The flavor ban, of course, is meant to be symbolic of Australia’s ban on same-sex marriage.
Despite the indisputable popularity of marriage equality in Australia, political gridlock has prevented parliament from approving any measure that would legalize same-sex marriage.
The country’s (very dated) Marriage Act 1961 prohibits two people of the same gender from tying the knot.
That’s where the ice cream scoop ban comes in.
Ben & Jerry’s knows the new policy might upset some customers. But that’s sort of the point.
The company — which has championed progressive causes like climate action, ending systemic racism in law enforcement, and expanding voting rights in the U.S. — has never been one to shy away from controversy.
Getting angry at the ban on two scoops of the same flavor “doesn’t even begin to compare to how furious you would be if you were told you were not allowed to marry the person you love,” the ice cream company’s website reads.
Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images.
In addition to the flavor ban, Ben & Jerry’s is setting up mailboxes in all of their Australian stores so customers can write their representatives, urging them to support marriage equality ahead of the next parliament sitting on June 13. The company is also encouraging customers to get involved with Australia’s Equality Campaign.
These might sound like bold stances for a company to take. But to the ice cream makers, it’s simply standing up for what most people believe in: “At Ben & Jerry’s we love love, and we think most Australians do too.”
To learn more about Ben & Jerry’s efforts promoting marriage equality in Australia, visit the company’s website.
