Facebook/Burger King
The marketing campaign, which is limited to just one restaurant, has set off a firestorm of backlash among customers, with hundreds of people vowing to boycott the fast food chain.
"You can take that pride BS and shove it BK, me and my family are going somewhere else!" Dennis Chacon Neira wrote on the company's Facebook page Tuesday. "and i will convince my friends NOT to eat at your restaurants, hope you go belly up!"
"I LOVE a Whopper, but I'll never eat there again," another Facebook user wrote.
"I'm done supporting Burger king," added a third.
A vast majority of the 350+ Facebook comments regarding the burger, which will only be available for a matter of days, are negative.
People have also been sounding off on Twitter.
RT @ConservativeLA: "Burger King sells gay pride Whopper." http://t.co/NoYWZ9i7fS lunatics? Time to boycott!
- HLWIII (@motorrader1) July 2, 2014
Well my family is done with Burger King "@toddstarnes: Burger King flame broils gay pride whopper. http://t.co/TKDMKrqLxQ"
- Robert Brent Sowell (@RobertBrentSowe) July 2, 2014
So now @BurgerKing has created a Gay Whopper! No more BK for me! I'll "Have it my way" somewhere else! #tcot http://t.co/DG0lpoNXDX
- Brandon (@WILDMANBS) July 2, 2014
Burger King gives yet another reason to never eat at Burger King: http://t.co/G5mB3Nia4A
- Drew Whittington (@Drew_Whitt) July 2, 2014
Burger King joins the immoral to help destroy the US & changes wraper to 'Whopper Pride" I will never go to BK again http://t.co/HUsMz9CVFe
- Gator Dennis (@gatorDennis) July 2, 2014
The fast food chain is also being accused by some of pandering to the LGBT community.
Local blog SFist.com gave this title to a post on the campaign: "Burger King Panders To Gay Fast Food Fans With 'Proud Whopper' Stunt."
Businessweek's Venessa Wong pointed out in a related article that the buying power of gay consumers was estimated to be $743 billion in 2010.
Others weighed in on Twitter.
Nothing says equality like commercial exploitation. RT @NBC12: Burger King shows LGBT pride with 'Proud Whopper': http://t.co/hql9xxQFtT
- matt dooley (@mdooley) July 2, 2014
---> "@SFist: Burger King panders to gay fast food fans with 'Proud Whopper' stunt at one location only... - http://t.co/3pklCCMrbZ"
- luis gonzalez (@erchepo) July 2, 2014
Wow. Aside from selling crap food to the public, #BurgerKing is now pandering to the gay community http://t.co/o1hmuogdfi
- ? D o n (@dwfaust) July 2, 2014
Burger King sells gay pride Whopper http://t.co/RK1wVDcgkX via @USATODAY Can you say "pander," boys and girls?
- MikeBates (@MikeBates) July 2, 2014
So Burger King are cashing in on being "gay-friendly" & are making a "Proud Whopper" for LGBT Pride month.
- Das Prinzesschen (@awhooker) July 2, 2014
The fast food chain is donating proceeds from the $4.29 "Proud Whopper" to college scholarships for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender high school seniors who are graduating in 2015.
Despite all the negativity, there have been some positive reactions to the campaign, as well.
Well done Burger King. Gay pride and a good message from a burger joint. Can't complain about that. http://t.co/fXiaX9ptel
- Brandon Mitchell (@brandmitchell) July 2, 2014
RIGHT ON, Burger King with your gay pride Whopper and "Be Your Way"! Now if you would plz make it taste good, too. =) http://t.co/mwYcKyh3YU
- Lawren Whitney (@lawrenwhitney) July 2, 2014
woah Burger King respect http://t.co/NH3GBa5Phw
- syd vicious (@based_syd) July 2, 2014