A PepsiCo Russian subsidiary is being
accused of promoting homosexuality to minors.
Anti-gay activists object to food and
beverage giant Wimm-Bill-Dann's Jolly Milkman (which also translates
to “gay milkman,” but is not a reference to homosexuality)
marketing, which includes a colorful rainbow.
According to The
Moscow Times, the St. Petersburg chapter of the group
People's Council (Narodny Sobor) has filed a complaint with city
officials. They accuse Wimm-Bill-Dann of violating a local ordinance
which prohibits the “promotion of homosexuality to minors.”
“It [the rainbow] is the
international symbol of the homosexual movement,” Anatoly Artyukh,
head of the group, told Interfax on Friday. “I consider it to be
blatant propaganda of vice.”
Wimm-Bill-Dann is Russia's largest food
and beverage company. It was purchased by PepsiCo in 2010 for $3.8
million.
Reuters reported that the group is also
planning protests against the company.
“In the near future we are planning
to picket the shops and hand out leaflets informing people that the
money they spend on this milk will be used to finance gay
propaganda,” Artyukh
is quoted as saying.