Abercrombie & Fitch has received criticism for a tweet about a merchandiser’s views on Pride.
Pride month - a four-week celebration of the LGBTQ community - is currently taking place across the world throughout June.
The American fashion retailer, took to Twitter on Sunday 11 June saying:
“The pride community is everybody, not just LGBTQ people,” according to Attitude.
The tweet, which was attributed to Kayla - a merchandiser for the brand - was linked to the brand’s collaboration with The Trevor Project for their Made For Love campaign. It has since been deleted.
Social media users took to Twitter to share their feelings of disapproval toward the tweet - with some feeling it missed the point of Pride.
The American retailer has since deleted the original tweet, but tweeted again about Pride on 11 June.
A Stonewall spokesperson told HuffPost UK:
“Prides were started by and for lesbian, gay, bi and trans people. They are a chance for LGBT people to come together as a community, champion diversity and to reflect on the challenges we still face,” they said.
“For many, Pride is still an act of defiance as LGBT people continue to face widespread persecution in countries across the world.
“The support of allies in our fight for LGBT equality is very important, and welcome over Pride season and beyond.
“However, it’s important to remember when expressing support why Pride was founded and who it was founded for.”
HuffPost UK has contacted Abercrombie & Fitch for comment and will update this article on their response.