HelloFresh has refused to apologise for a Pride Month campaign that joked about anal sex, instead defending the post as a “lighthearted” nod to gay culture.

The global meal kit company drew widespread criticism after an Instagram post invited followers who were “prepping” to try its high-fibre recipes, a reference some commentators said reduced gay people to crude sexual stereotypes.

In a statement, a HelloFresh spokesperson told chrislynchmedia.com the company stood by the campaign.

“At HelloFresh, we’re proud to celebrate the diverse communities we serve. The recent Pride Month post from HelloFresh US was a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek nod to a familiar conversation within the LGBTQ+ community.

“We stand for home cooking, and we celebrate diversity just as we celebrate global flavours with high protein and fibre. We remain committed to keeping mealtime fun, inclusive, and tailored to everyone’s lifestyle.”

The original post read: “We know eating isn’t always a top priority this month. We respect that. But for those of you who are… prepping… we have an extensive lineup of high-fibre recipes available. Happy Pride.”

After a commenter suggested the promo code BOTTOMSUP, the company replied that customers could use it for a Pride Month discount. The company’s statement makes no mention of the code, nor of the calls from critics to cancel subscriptions.

The X account Libs of TikTok, which has 4.7 million followers, urged its readers to drop their HelloFresh subscriptions.

New Zealand political commentator Ani O’Brien criticised the campaign in a Facebook post.

“As a lesbian, I am so tired of this nonsense. I am tired of corporate Pride and activist Pride,” O’Brien said.

She said the same sex marriage movement was never about sex.

“It was about love, commitment, and the ability to build a life with the person you love. It was about family and equality before the law,” O’Brien said.

She said most gay people wanted to be accepted and left alone, rather than represented through crude corporate jokes.

“We don’t need multinational corporations making dirty jokes about us to feel ‘included’,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said the company could have produced something more positive.

“How hard would it have been to make a genuinely wholesome Pride advertisement? Two mums cooking dinner with their kids or two husbands hosting friends,” O’Brien said.

“It’s regressive and distasteful,” O’Brien said.

HelloFresh is a German multinational headquartered in Berlin.