People are furious about this McDonald's ad showing a gay son coming out to his dad

McDonald's knows how to attract protests - this time from anti-gay religious groups.

Last Friday, McDonald's Taiwan posted an ad for McCafe to its Facebook page, featuring a young man coming out to his father.

The 90-second video shows an emotional moment between a father and son at a McCafe, in which the young man passes a coffee cup to his dad reading "I like boys," reports AdWeek.

The father withdraws from the table, upset, leaving his son alone to collect himself. Then, the father returns and picks up his son's cup of coffee, modifying it to read: "I accept that you like boys."

 

The Facebook video has now been viewed more than 3.6 million times, with the original post gaining more than 92,000 likes, and 11,800 shares.

However, not all viewers support the ad's heartwarming message.

The secretary general of the Alliance of Taiwan Religious Groups for the Protection of Family, Chang Shou-yi, has called for a McDonald's boycot following the ad, reports Shanghaiist.

"Because McDonald's is frequented by many children, it is especially important to oppose the promotion of same-sex behavior," Chang said in a statement on the ad. The Alliance "rebukes and boycotts all enterprises that are polluting the next generation."

Despite the hate, social media response to the ad has been overwhelmingly positive, both in Shanghai and as it has crossed over to Western media outlets.

At this point, LGBT-supportive marketing is pretty much the norm. Brands from Bud Light to KFC have taken to social media to support gay rights. Even Chick-fil-A, a chain whose president infamously discussed his opposition to same-sex marriage, has a franchisee who donated food to a gay pride picnic last June. 

If advertising that supports gay customers is a dealbreaker for consumers, there are few fast-food chains left where they can order.