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In an incident that caused much confusion in online circles, a printer in Russia allegedly refused to print K-pop stickers and posters of BTS and Stray Kids. They called it "LGBTQ+ propaganda."
Cafe owners of PinkyPop in Yekaterinburg, Russia, were stumped after a simple print request turned into a queerphobic mockery. It was a case of an unusual misunderstanding between the two while the cafe was attempting to secure BTS and Stray Kids merch.
Also read: Rumors of a BTS x Coldplay collab circulate, many suspect a Taehyung and Jungkook sub-unit
Russian print shop cites queerphobic rhetoric after a misunderstanding
The incident was reported by a Russian news publication, who got the story from the cafe "PinkyPop." The owners of PinkyPop requested the printer for posters and stickers of boy bands BTS and Stray Kids. They had planned to hand them out to customers who ordered coffee. Soon after making the request, the cafe owners were being ignored by the print shop.
After inquiring about the lack of communication, the cafe owners received bigoted messages from the printer shop, asking,
"Do you want your children to become perverts?"
The shop also went on to say it was,
"Stupid to support something that will leave you with no grandchildren."
Supposedly, the print shop owner saw the pictures of BTS and Stray Kids and assumed that they were of the LGBTQ+ community.
The printer shop owner, a "supporter of traditionalist values," refused to print the required products, alluding that it was LGBTQ+ propaganda. He also told the owners of PinkyPop that the print shop had enough regular clients to pad any financial blow from their decision.
Many fans of BTS, Stray Kids, and the K-POP community, in general, came together in support of PinkyPop cafe and condemned the actions of the printer. Fans called such ideas "ignorant" and "outdated."
Meanwhile, the owners of PinkyPop have seemingly moved on, continuing with their business as usual.
BTS and Stray Kids on the LGBTQ+ community
Coincidentally enough, members of both BTS and Stray Kids have been open regarding their views on the LGBTQ+ community.
BTS' RM, at the 2018 UN General Assembly, specifically mentioned "gender identity." This is a phrase used to acknowledge that gender is not binary but falls on a spectrum. Other members of BTS have also, on multiple occasions, tweeted out in support of queer artists and their music.
Stray Kids have also been vocal about their support for the LGBTQ+ community. Many fans spotted the K-POP group at the Pride event in New York City in 2018. Stray Kids' Bang Chan, during a concert, mentioned the words "whether you're a boy, a girl, or anyone else you choose to be," a statement inclusive of non-binary people.
