An Irish-themed T-shirt has been pulled off store shelves across Atlantic Canada following social media complaints.
Pseudio was previously seen selling shirts reading, “Kiss me I'm Irish,” but with the Irish crossed out and replaced with the word “drunk.”
“Purveying an idea that it is fun to do things with who may not be able to give a proper yes or no to is not a good idea,” said one Halifax resident.
A company official based in Halifax wasn't able to say how many shirts sold across Atlantic Canada, only that they stopped selling the item this week.
“We acknowledge and realize the sensitive nature of this topic and agree with the public opinion, it is never our intention to offend our customers or the general public,” said Pseudio's director of sales and operations, Ariana Card, in a statement.
Marketing professor Ed McHugh says companies must always be plugged in to what's happening in the world.
“Considering the very high-profile case we just had in Halifax that got national and international coverage, you almost have to rethink your merchandizing strategy and pull anything that might be offensive to people,” said McHugh.
Those who work to educate people about sexual violence say the T-shirt “trivializes the complex issue of consent.”
“It just encourages an ongoing disbelief of people who have experienced sexualized violence,” said Carmella Farahbakhsh.
Pseudio continues to sell St. Patrick’s Day T-shirts without the controversial wording.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelland Sundahl.
