BarkBox Shifts Pride Proceeds to Ohio LGBTQ Center

BarkBox CEO Matt Meeker apologized after a leaked internal memo compared the company's Pride-themed pet collection to MAGA-branded products and justified pausing Pride marketing due to concerns about alienating customers. The memo, which surfaced on Reddit, drew backlash for being disrespectful to the LGBTQIA+ community. Meeker publicly disagreed with the comparison and affirmed BarkBox's commitment to selling its Pride products. In response to the incident, BarkBox pledged to donate 100% of proceeds from the Pride collection specifically to Kaleidoscope Youth Center in Ohio, an increase from partial donations in previous years. The episode reflects broader challenges faced by companies during Pride Month amid escalating anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and scrutiny of diversity efforts. BarkBox's Pride collection remains available as an optional add-on, continuing a four-year tradition.