Burger King Stirs up Controversy With Its 'Pride Whopper'

By Allison Schonter

Burger King is showing its pride with an all-new burger! Throughout Pride Month, the famed fast food restaurant chain is offering guests in one region the chance to order its unique new Pride Whopper, a new limited-edition burger that features two same-sided buns.

Currently available throughout June at Burger King Austria, according to Chew Boom, the Pride Whopper, for the most part, is identical to the iconic Whopper, the burger BK is famous for. The Pride Whopper features a quarter-pound of seasoned, flame-grilled beef that is topped with sliced tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, and sliced white onions. Where it sets itself apart from the traditional Whopper and most other burgers is its bun, as the Pride Whopper comes with two same-side buns, representing "equal love and equal rights."

Although Burger King may have meant well with the unique menu addition, the Pride Whopper has landed the company in some controversy, mostly from those feeling the new burger misses the mark and is tone deaf. Reacting to the menu addition, one Twitter user asked, "Burger King Austria made a Pride burger that's either two tops or two bottoms... what in straight hell?" Another person said the new burger "is about one of the dumbest displays of performative activism I have ever seen." Another person denounced the burger as "tone deaf" and "clueless," sharing that "the Pride Whopper isn't celebration of LGBTQ+, it's monetization of it."

However, not everyone was quick to criticize, and some simply found humor in the Pride Whopper. Commenting on Burger King Austria's Instagram post announcing the burger, one person wrote, "as a gay person, this is the funniest thing I have ever seen and I don't think I'll ever stop laughing."

Burger King has not addressed the vibrant response to the Pride Burger just yet. The Pride Burger is available at Burger King locations in Austria only for a limited time through June 20. Meanwhile, in the U.S., customers can order one of the chain's new Cheesy Breakfast Melts, which come in three varieties – Sausage, Bacon, or Black Forest Ham. The new melts, introduced nationwide in May, are layered with two slices of American cheese and a fluffy folded egg on toasted round bread and carry a suggested price of $2.99 each, though prices may vary by location.

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