The Internet wins again!
After being called out on its #everydaysexism, U.K. pharmacy chain Boots is removing signs from its shelves that categorize toys by gender.
The pressure started when Boots customer @SeanEGray tweeted this sucker out to the world:
That caught the eye of other Boots customers and Internet folks, including @LetToysBeToys, a social media group that campaigns against sexist children’s toy marketing.
Along with your run-of-the-mill pinkification, customers took issue with some sexist stereotyping action on the science shelves. All Science Museum-branded toys were on the ‘boy’ shelves only, despite the pharmacy itself using and selling the work of women scientists. Author Megan Peel, the mother of a 10-month-old girl, was #notbuyingit. She emailed the director of the Science Museum of London and wrote a piece for The Guardian on Boots’ bullshit.
Boots defended its stance at first, stating that the labels made its stores “easier to navigate.” I mean, I generally navigate stores by checking what’s between my legs, so I guess I get that. Except nope.
The company apologized on Tuesday via Facebook, stating “it’s clear we’ve got this signage wrong, and we’re taking immediate steps to remove it.”
It still divides toys by gender on its website, but let’s hope Boots gives those labels the boot soon too. Har.
Thanks to The Guardian.
Images via: @SeanEGray, thisbluemarble.com
