McDonald’s is making an effort to welcome more people from the LGBTQ community to enjoy their delicious burgers and chicken nuggets. In a bold move to attract a wider audience, McDonald’s has brought back its lovable purple mascot, Grimace, in a new campaign coinciding with Gay Pride celebrations throughout the month of June 2023.

To kick off Pride Month, the fast-food chain introduced a limited-time purple milkshake in honor of Grimace’s fifty-second birthday. The purple milkshake was a huge success among customers, prompting McDonald’s to add it to their regular menu on June 12, 2023, just in time for the major Pride Parade celebrations happening in cities across the country.

McDonald’s is also leveraging their social media channels to promote Grimace as a new LGBTQ icon – and the response has been even better than anticipated. On their social channels, McDonald’s posted a message inviting everyone to join Grimace’s party, while showcasing the special “Grimace meal” and the purple shake.

Customers can now enjoy the purple Grimace milkshake as part of a meal deal. They can choose between a ten-piece Chicken McNuggets order or a classic Big Mac with fries, which they can devour alongside the purple milkshake – the perfect accompaniment to wash down their fast food.

Social media users quickly caught on to McDonald’s plan to incorporate Grimace into their Pride Month celebrations. The purple hue of Grimace and the release of the themed milkshake just before the major pride events in June led customers on social media to wonder if McDonald’s was trying to attract more LGBTQ customers to their fast-food chain.

One user tweeted, “Grimace goes to Pride,” while another person said, “Hey Grimace, happy birthday and happy Pride.”

In addition to having their own milkshake, Grimace has appeared on McDonald’s social media channels, posting selfies and other images to engage with and entice the LGBTQ community. One post even asked (with intentional misspellings per McDonald’s), “unrelated, but do I (Grimace) look like a purple bloater plss be honest.”

Although Grimace has now become an LGBTQ icon during Pride Month according to celebrants, McDonald’s is hesitant to confirm whether Grimace was intentionally resurrected for this purpose.

A spokesperson for McDonald’s told Business Insider, “The best part about Grimace is that he means different things to different people. Whatever he is, we’re just proud our bestie makes people happy.”

Grimace made his debut as a villain in the McDonald’s character line-up back in 1971. However, due to terrifying millions of children, McDonald’s transformed him into a friendlier character, and now he is recognized as a Gay Pride icon for many McDonald’s customers celebrating Pride Month.

The Grimace milkshake, a limited edition treat made famous by the beloved character, has been a hit among McDonald’s customers. The shake combines low-fat vanilla soft-serve ice cream with a burst of wild berry syrup, providing an extra sweet treat with every sip. Customers have the option to choose between two sizes, with the larger size costing around $3.

McDonald’s has also used Grimace to promote their “Better Together” campaign, which emphasizes the significance of inclusion and acceptance. Grimace is seen standing alongside other famous characters such as Ronald McDonald, Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese, and Birdie the Early Bird.

The Better Together campaign aims to underscore the idea that everyone is equal, regardless of their gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. McDonald’s is proud to stand by this message and continue to create an environment of warmth and acceptance for all its customers.