Companies that nailed their colours to the mast early on in the gender debate

[Jessasamantha]

38 degrees petition site prompted a memory the other day about them taking down a petition calling for a debate on the GRA, which was then followed by a petition calling out 38 degrees on Change. Found it here

www.change.org/p/38-degrees-38-degrees-stop-silencing-and-censoring-women

Which got me thinking about all of the other companies who made it very clear they were not on the side of women early on in the debate, who perhaps may be reconsidering their misogyny and hoping that we might have forgotten. I have some vague memory of Co-op in the early days refusing to provide banking services to one of the first grass roots women's groups, can anyone confirm? Also Ocado, who sided with Primesight after they took down Kellie-Jay Keen's adult human female advert?

Any others from the early years?

Lush.

The Body Shop

Starbucks

Topshop after their response to Travis Alabanza

Had forgotten about Starbucks! Also Marks and Spencer, though that's more ongoing.

Ocado

Every single company that contributed to that full-page advert in the Evening Standard promoting GRA reform.

Aviva (and sorry OP, you already mentioned Ocado)

@PenguindreamsofDraco

Lush.

No surprise there. They’ve also kept their shops in Russia open (but there may be a reason why they can’t shut them).

The problem with closing Lush shops is how you dispose of the contents - some people say it should be buried underground until the smell finally wears off, but others are in favour of firing it into space. The thought of billions of bath bombs appearing in international airspace is possibly not going to be countenanced right now - the only solution - keep the shops open.

I imagine.

@DomesticatedZombie

The problem with closing Lush shops is how you dispose of the contents - some people say it should be buried underground until the smell finally wears off, but others are in favour of firing it into space. The thought of billions of bath bombs appearing in international airspace is possibly not going to be countenanced right now - the only solution - keep the shops open.

I imagine.

😂😂😂😂😂

Lololol DomesticatedZombie .

I still haven't forgotten the experience of walking past a Lush shop in Cardiff. It felt like some sort of chemical warfare incident.

(I said Cardiff when I meant Carlisle. Apologies. That happens to me a lot.)

@PenguindreamsofDraco

Lush.

I keep seeing them advertising for staff, I will not apply hopefully no woman is and thats why they keep advertising.

@DomesticatedZombie

The problem with closing Lush shops is how you dispose of the contents - some people say it should be buried underground until the smell finally wears off, but others are in favour of firing it into space. The thought of billions of bath bombs appearing in international airspace is possibly not going to be countenanced right now - the only solution - keep the shops open.

I imagine.

chemical warefare

I cant even spell warfare

@VelvetChairGirl

I cant even spell warfare

I like 'chemical warefare!'

It deserves to exist as a word.

John Lewis.

@DomesticatedZombie

The problem with closing Lush shops is how you dispose of the contents - some people say it should be buried underground until the smell finally wears off, but others are in favour of firing it into space. The thought of billions of bath bombs appearing in international airspace is possibly not going to be countenanced right now - the only solution - keep the shops open.

I imagine.

Perfect

Dove
Innocent Drinks

I remember when Lush opened in Kingston. Chemical warfare is right! The entire market square REEKED. I would boycott them, but I've never bought anything from them the smell is so awful.

This has reminded me of the absolute landslide of one star Ocado reviews on trustpilot that followed the billboard incident. Hundreds of them. 'Twas a beautiful thing.

On the other hand, I recall Arla standing firm in the face of TRA tantrumming, though I don't remember the details. I have bought their Skyr weekly since then though. (Which just goes to prove that old saying - you can't always remember what someone said, but you remember how they made you feel.)

I no longer buy Method cleaning stuff.

Barclays pushing pronouns to be nice

Whoever it is who makes Flora (pulled their advertising from Mumsnet). I have never bought it since.

Oh and while I can’t remember the Co-op bank story, they certainly threatened to pull their ads from the Spectator, which went really well: www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-spectator-the-co-op-and-cancel-culture-a-cautionary-tale/amp