FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL: The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) is taking aim at Oreo for partnering with an organization promoting a “militant LGBTQ agenda.”
The NPLC will release a video Wednesday that begins by citing the names of infamous books on gender and sexuality that have been marketed to young people in public libraries and schools.
“‘This Book Is Gay,’” the video narrates. “‘Gender Queer.’ ‘Flamer.’ ‘Lawn Boy.’ Books like these are promoted in our schools and local libraries by PLFAG, and Oreo is supporting them.” PFLAG is an LGBT advocacy organization.
“Is your favorite sandwich cookie company grooming children?” the video asks. “What happened to the kid friendly cookie we all used to know and love? Don’t let PFLAG and Oreo corrupt your children. Learn more at NLPC.org/oreo.”
Paul Chesser, the director of the Corporate Integrity Project at the NPLC, told The Daily Signal that the NPLC has stock in Mondelez International, the parent company of Oreo. As the NPLC monitored the company’s activities, Chesser noticed that Oreo’s Twitter account was doing a lot of co-promotional content with PFLAG.
In many of these posts, Oreo praises PFLAG as a “long-time” partner, celebrates Pride Month, and promotes gender ideology.
On closer examination, Chesser realized that Oreo was sponsoring the 2023 PLFAG National Convention. That convention’s focus was “Learning with Love,” and its opening session was: “Let Freedom Read! Read with Love to Support Inclusive Books and Education,” pushing back on the banning of explicit books, according to NLPC.
“PFLAG and [the American Library Association] also co-sponsored ‘Banned Books Week‘ earlier this month, which included ‘Let Freedom Read Day‘ to promote grassroots action with lawmakers and decision-makers to allow adult-themed materials into school libraries,” the NLPC said on its website.
“Among its events and materials for Banned Books Week, PFLAG made a list of the Top 13 Most Banned Books,’ which include the titles ‘Gender Queer,’ ‘All Boys Aren’t Blue,’ ‘Flamer,’ ‘Lawn Boy,’ and ‘This Book is Gay,’” the NPLC noted. Multiple of these books contain explicit sexual content and gender ideology discussions.
“As watchdogs of corporate American, we believe that companies should not be engaged and involved in these divisive political issues, these social issues, they should be as neutral as possible,” Chesser explained. “When you get involved in a lot this militant activity, it’s problematic. You’re going to tick off at least half of your potential customers.”
NLPC’s campaign includes a website page dedicated to Oreo’s partnership with PLFAG, where it reveals that it is sponsoring a shareholder proposal challenging Mondelez International’s company executive and board of directors and asking the board to “examine its associations with controversial external groups such as PFLAG to determine whether they present a significant risk to the health and profitability of the company.”
“Parents across the United States have become increasingly fed up with the political activism and gender ideology agenda – especially those targeting children – of militant LGBTQ pressure groups such as GLAAD, GLSEN, Human Rights Campaign, and The Trevor Project, among many others,” that landing page notes, critiquing activist groups for targeting children with “Drag Queen Story Hour” events and stirring up confusion about sex with terms like “identity” and “fluidity.”
“Among the organizations pressing this agenda is PFLAG (formerly Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays),” the NLPC shares. “Begun with noble intentions as a support for families of gay individuals, the group over time developed a more militant activist intent with expansionist strategies. The nonprofit organization takes in several million dollars annually to support its lobbying, recruitment, electoral advocacy, issue advocacy, and gender vocabulary activism.”
The NLPC specifically hits at PFLAG for pushing gender ideology on children in ways that parents may not be aware of, such as pushing for explicit gender books in school libraries or lobbying against laws that would protect children from transgender medical procedures and interventions.
“Should a brand so identified with children also be so deeply intertwined with the aggressive promotion of the LGBTQ tactics and agenda of militant groups like PFLAG?” the NLPC asks. “What business does a sandwich cookie have being involved in the promotion of explicit materials where they are easily accessible to children, without their parents’ knowledge? And with those who would promote transgender ideology to minors outside of their parents’ consent?”
Oreo and Mondelez did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Signal.
Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email [email protected], and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.