Baby gear company Stokke Baby defended a social media post criticizing gender stereotypes after it angered some parents.
Stokke shared a short video reel on March 14 on its official Instagram page that shares how one mother is breaking gender stereotypes with her child. The caption reads, “Breaking Stereotypes: Because Childhood Should Be a Canvas, Not a Blueprint!”
Hashtags in the caption included “Redefine gender” and “Smash gender stereotypes.”
In the reel, a mother shares how she lets her son wear nail polish, play with dolls, and challenge traditional gender norms in other ways.
“My child likes nail polish and plays with dolls,” she says. “He’s creative and confident because we allow him to express himself without being confined by gender stereotypes.”
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She encourages other parents to challenge “harmful” gender stereotypes by avoiding gender-specific toys and by reading books with “inclusive” messages.
The post drew hundreds of comments, most of which appeared to be negative.
“I never thought that a company like yours would go down the toilet like this!” one of the top comments read.
“Not Stokke going down this slippery slope too,” another comment read. “We raise boys and girls differently because men and women have different realities in adulthood. Men will never breastfeed for example.”
Several comments compared the post to the Bud Light controversy last year when the beer giant took a financial hit after it partnered with a transgender influencer for a social media campaign.
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“Have companies learned nothing from Bud Light’s big mistake? Stick to making baby products and stop pushing your child grooming, brain washing agenda. No one wants to hear about your ‘gender less’ child nonsense,” another user wrote.
“I guess Stokke wants to lose business just like some others. I will not support your company anymore. Stop coming after our kids with this agenda,” another commented.
The backlash prompted Stokke to respond on March 19.
“We feel it’s important to respond to the negative feedback we’ve received,” the company announced in an update pinned to the top of the original post.
“While we respect individuals’ decisions to unfollow us, spreading hate regarding someone’s choice of education and parenting is not acceptable. At Stokke, we believe in fostering open discussions and embracing diverse opinions, but we will always oppose hate,” the statement said.
“We’ll continue sharing stories aligned with our values of nurturing confident children with love and tolerance. No amount of unfollowing will deter us from this mission,” the company said with the heart hands emoji and the hashtags “Gender Equality” and “Challenge Norms.”
The company also denied trying to push an agenda.
“Our intention is not to force any agenda but rather to advocate for inclusivity and acceptance in our society,” Stokke posted under one negative comment.
The company has shared two other posts and reels on the theme of “breaking gender stereotypes” on March 10 and March 2.
