A Marlborough-based boutique beer brewer has offended the gay community with a marketing campaign suggesting low carb beers are only for homosexuals.
Moa Beer had planned to give away T-shirts which said "Low carb B(Q)eers, Moa Beer -- full strength". A pink Q was superimposed on the first B.
But the T-shirts prompted a flood of responses from the public on the Marlborough-based company's facebook page, some supportive, but many showing disgust and calling for a boycott of Moa beer.
One wrote: "This is quite simply unacceptable. To use the word 'queer' in a derogatory sense is nothing short of a homophobic slur... Also, need I remind you of the recent rise in teen suicides in the USA due to homophobic bullying? And then you do this?! Shame on you."
The company responded on the site: "Thanks for your feedback on our tees. They were meant to be lighthearted... We asked some of our gay mates and they thought it was funny, but I guess we should've asked a few more."
A Moa spokesperson told GayNZ.com the company was concerned the campaign had offended some gay people.
The T-shirts were not part of a wider campaign and the company offered to apologise in person to anyone who attended their Auckland BBQ this week.
