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Major brands are the latest target in the culture wars challenging the 'woke' agenda

Pride month merchandise is displayed at a Target store
George Walker IV
/
AP
Pride month merchandise is displayed at a Target store, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Longtime Pride sponsors like Bud Light and Target have come under attack by conservatives for their LGBTQ-friendly marketing.

Procter & Gamble is the latest major American brand to come under fire for its recent UK Always campaign, which features a puberty pamphlet using inclusive language. The Cincinnati-based company chose to market its puberty kit for "young people with female sex organs."

Conservative critics claim the language in the ad is "anti-woman" and part of the "woke agenda" that supports what they see as the erasure of women and girls. This year, more bills targeting LGBTQIA rights have "been introduced and passed in the last four months than any other time in U.S. history," the Washington Post reports.

On Cincinnati Edition, we discuss the scope of impact and how brands are responding.

Guests:

  • Leslie Rasmussen, Ph.D., associate professor, program director, Xavier University
  • Alexander Coolidge, reporter, Cincinnati Enquirer

Listen to Cincinnati Edition live at noon M-F. Audio for this segment will be uploaded after 4 p.m. ET.

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