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---
title: White Skittles for Pride Month Spark Criticism
description: Skittles divided the internet by going all white for pride month in the name of equality for the LGBT community
canonical: https://time.com/4818777/white-skittles-lgbt-pride-month/
author: Ashley Hoffman
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article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2017-06-14T20:30:08.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:44:31.190Z
og:title: A Bag of White Skittles Launched an Internet Divide
og:description: &quot;I don&#x27;t think Skittles thought through the LGBT pride campaign.&quot;
og:url: https://time.com/4818777/white-skittles-lgbt-pride-month/
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twitter:title: A Bag of White Skittles Launched an Internet Divide
twitter:description: &quot;I don&#x27;t think Skittles thought through the LGBT pride campaign.&quot;
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# Not Everyone on the Internet Is Pumped That Skittles Went White for Pride Month

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## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

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### The seven newsletters

| Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% |
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Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience.

### Key data points

| Metric | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 |
| Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 |
| Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 |
| Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Publishing since | 1923 | TIME |

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### FAQ

#### What newsletters does TIME publish?

TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers.

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#### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter?

Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.

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by 

[Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/)


## Ashley Hoffman


Jun 14, 2017 8:30 PM UTC

by 

[Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/)


## Ashley Hoffman


Jun 14, 2017 8:30 PM UTC

A [bag of candy](http://time.com/4501061/donald-trump-jr-skittles/) has become the unlikely focus of an internet debate.

Skittles, the official “taste the rainbow” [candies](http://time.com/4724751/cadbury-egg-easter-internet-reactions/) ditched its signature rainbow of candy colors in favor of an all white appearance for one reason: to honor [June pride month](http://time.com/4814179/equality-march-lgbt-donald-trump/) for the second year in a row.

The Skittles are white this month because, as the message on the back of the limited-edition new bag puts it, “During Pride, only one rainbow matters. So we’ve given up ours to show support.”

But since March, [for some](https://twitter.com/blackmajiik/status/847680467939729408?lang=en), the white bag and the white-only coating on the shelled fruity treats was considered a misstep that raised the issue of exclusion. Critics took to Twitter to share that they felt the new direction was inadvertently tone-deaf, rather than supportive of LGBTQ people, as the company intended.

> [](https://twitter.com/AltFfore/status/870263340924383233)

> [](https://twitter.com/polyeaster/status/875040968743018498)


> [](https://twitter.com/juniperangelica/status/847665038319943682)

Others shared they [loved](https://twitter.com/PawPrintAndrew/status/860129564793745409) the semi-brand new bag, finding it a positive public relations move on behalf of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

> [](https://twitter.com/madisonh629/status/848045176509673472)

> [](https://twitter.com/Tryzon/status/870911966193254400)


> [](https://twitter.com/emmabaldry/status/871006338993860609)

According to Wrigley, the company that produces Skittles, proceeds from the sales will also benefit charity.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this story.

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