New advertisements with same-gender couples sharing bottles of Coca-Cola have sparked conservative outrage in Hungary.
Captioned "Love is love" with a heart emoji on Facebook, the ads show three couples sharing a bottle of Coke. Two of the couples are same-gender. According to The Guardian, the ads can be seen at bus stops and billboards around Budapest ahead of this Wednesday's Sziget Festival, an international music and arts event. The tagline reads, "Zero sugar, zero prejudice."
While LGBTQ acceptance is on the rise in Hungary and some discrimination protections are in place, same-gender marriage is still banned. The far-right Fidesz party has called for a boycott of the Coke products until the "provocative" advertisements are removed. "The homosexual lobby is laying siege to Budapest, leaving no space to avoid this," said one conservative news correspondent, Pesti Srácok.
But Coca-Cola is standing by the ads.
"The three different posters feature both hetero- and homosexual couples drinking Coca-Cola," they said in a press release. "With this we really want to convey a message: our belief that everyone has the right to affection and love; that the feeling of love is the same. We believe that we are all equal, irrespective of our nationality, religion, gender, age, ethnic background, spoken language, hobbies, and opinions. We believe that both hetero- and homosexuals have the right to love the person who is best for them."
Coca-Cola will also release a limited-edition rainbow bottle available during the Sziget Festival.
