The Golden Gaytime is a famed Aussie icon. It was possibly the only positive representation of the word “gay” in Australian culture for quite some time.

Many gay Australians feel pleasure at seeing the Golden Gaytime name in supermarkets and it continues to associate the word “gay” with positive experiences.

How many gay Australians have had a quiet chuckle over having a Gaytime with their friends? Almost all of us.

There is a petition to change the name, talking about other recent name changes like Cheer cheese, and Cheekies lollies, which seems to have entirely misunderstood why those changes were important: they used a word that was considered a slur by the people the word described. “Gay” is not a slur. The notion that “gay” should not be on a packet is one I would expect to hear come from a homophobe, not a gay Australian!

The response on social media seems clear to me. My aim is to show Unilever that there is so much support for the existing name that they will have a clear case for the future.

Unilever, keep the Golden Gaytime name! Camp it up, and work to find new ways to support the Queer Community!