Delivery drivers suspended after targeting BTS with ‘inexcusable’ homophobic slurs
BTS at the lauch of their new single. (Getty)
A number of delivery drivers have been suspended after making homophobic comments about South Korean pop icons BTS.
Grab Philippines – a popular, app-based delivery service – confirmed on Thursday (17 June) that it had suspended partners who were involved in a series of homophobic social media posts about BTS.
Fans were outraged by a series of Facebook comments by Grab drivers that called the group “biot” or “bayot”, which means gay, according to Rappler.com.
Among the posts were also calls for a boycott of a much-hyped, limited edition McDonald’s BTS meal, which was released in the Philippines on Friday (18 May).
Grab said “inclusivity” is one of the company’s core values, and it has a “zero-tolerance policy for inexcusable behaviours”.
It continued: “We have immediately suspended the delivery partners in question and will continue to work hard to maintain an inclusive and diverse platform.”
Grab also said it hoped that customers “will not let the actions of a few select individuals affect the livelihoods of the many delivery-partners” who rely on Grab to “support their families”.
— Grab Philippines (@grabph) June 17, 2021
Meanwhile, a rival delivery service took the opportunity to do this.
What'd we miss? 😉 pic.twitter.com/SuSptFhaBY— PICK•A•ROO (@pickaroo) June 17, 2021
BTS recently appeared on the highly-anticipated Friends: The Reunion special alongside other pop stars including Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber.
The South Korean band also released their second English-language single “Butter” in May – which many fans have declared is a low-key lesbian anthem.
In the “Butter” video, all seven BTS members – Jungkook, V, Jimin, Jin, RM, Suga and J-Hope – dance appear in front of a colourful backdrop that looks shockingly like the lesbian Pride flag.
The song has stayed at the number one spot of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for three weeks.
“Butter” is the fourth song from BTS to reach the top spot after such hits like “Dynamite”, “Life Goes On” and “Savage Love”.
