Listerine Faces Boycott Calls Over LGBTQ+ Packaging

Calls are growing online to boycott the dental care brand Listerine after pictures circulated of the brand's "Care with Pride" packaging, an initiative that supports LGBTQ nonprofit groups.

Boycott calls have plagued several companies in recent months, such as Bud Light, which was first criticized in April for partnering with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. This month, Coca-Cola came under fire after the company allegedly donated $4 million to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation. A chapter of the nonprofit caused controversy after sharing pro-Palestinian messages on social media.

The right-wing account Libs of TikTok posted a photo of Listerine's packaging to X, formerly Twitter, Sunday afternoon, and garnered over 1.5 million views within the first 24 hours it was online. The bottle design includes images of Pride flags and a description of the company's Care with Pride campaign.

"Listerine supports organizations who advocate for sex change surgeries for minors. They also make their stance clear with the packaging," read the Libs of TikTok's caption alongside the photo. "Stop giving money to companies who hate you and what you stand for!"

The healthcare company Johnson & Johnson, who owns Listerine, started the Care with Pride initiative in 2011 and has donated over $1.5 million to LGBTQ nonprofit groups since, according to the company's website. During the month of June, several of Johnson & Johnson's products feature the Care with Pride packaging, reported CNET, and in 2023 the initiative focused on the advocacy nonprofit Family Equality.

Libs of TikTok has targeted Listerine in the past for its Care with Pride packaging, including a post to X on August 15, which showed a picture of the mouthwash bottle's design and a screenshot from Johnson & Johnson's website about the initiative. That post gained over 629,000 views.

Several users on X reshared photos of Listerine's Care with Pride bottle or responded to the Libs of TikTok's post, stating that they plan to stop using the mouthwash brand. One user, who reshared Libs of TikTok's picture, claimed that they had used the mouthwash "daily for nearly 35 years" but stated that they've "spent my last penny with your brand."

"Espousing the sexualization of children isn't the moral win you hoped it would be," the user added.

Others mocked the design, such as Christian online personality Taylor Marshall, who posted a photo of the Listerine bottle with the caption, "Listerine is 'so stunning and brave.'"

Newsweek reached out to Johnson & Johnson's press team via email for comment Monday.

Conservative groups have also repeatedly targeted Burger King, which first faced heat online for pulling advertisements from Rumble, an online video platform, in response to the website hosting Russell Brand's podcast. The British comedian has been accused of rape and sexual assault.