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Ben & Jerry's bans 2 scoops of the same flavour in marriage equality statement

Double chocolate? Not until LGBTQ people can get married.

Johnny Lieu

on May 24, 2017

Ben & Jerry's bans 2 scoops of the same flavour in marriage equality statement

Two scoops of the same flavour at Ben and Jerry's in Australia? Not until marriage equality is legal. Credit: Oliver Rudkin/REX/Shutterstock

The battle to make marriage equality legal in Australia has been a protracted and frequently ugly process, inhibited by the government.

So Ben & Jerry's is trying to speed up the case for legalisation by banning two scoops of the same flavour at their 26 stores across Australia.

"We are banning two scoops of the same flavor and encouraging our fans to contact their MPs to tell them that the time has come – make same sex marriage legal! Love comes in all flavours!" reads a statement on its website.

The ice cream company will also install post boxes at its stores, where postcards will be provided for customers to write in and show their support for marriage equality. If they haven't already.

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Ben & Jerry's effort follows a whole slew of companies that have backed marriage equality in Australia: Airbnb released an incomplete black ring for people to show their support earlier this year, while tech giants Facebook and Apple have voiced their side of the issue.

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But the numbers make what would seem a risky corporate move a relatively safe bet, with 72 percent of Australians showing support for marriage equality, according to research in 2014.

It's why there's understandably suspicion when it comes to companies throwing marketing dollars behind the marriage equality campaign. Critics haven't been shy to accuse businesses of pinkwashing, the practice of cashing in on the increased support for equality.

While Ben & Jerry's have had a long history of advocacy when it comes to social issues -- even on marriage equality in the U.S. -- the company's latest campaign didn't enamour some people online.