This Pride Month, NEON (powered by GLAAD) partnered with Pop-Tarts to create the first-ever Pop-Tarts Pride Box, “NEON Pink Block Party Lemonade.”
NEON is a collective of artists and creators that leverages the power of storytelling and GLAAD’s platform to increase the visibility of Black LGBTQ people. Through its digital content series, NEON aims to create multi-dimensional, accurate portrayals of the Black LGBTQ experience.
In collaboration with Pop-Tarts, NEON worked diligently to develop the Pride Box and provide much-needed representation for LGBTQ+ BIPOC communities. NEON’s founder Major Nesby and collective artists and creators Janel Martinez, Roya Marsh, Eva Reign, Abdool Corlette, and DaShawn Usher assisted in curating the limited-edition boxes and bringing “NEON Pink Block Party Lemonade” Pop-Tarts to life.
Black and queer illustrator and influencer Thaddeus Coates, designed the beautiful, bright, and joyous Pride Box artwork, and, for the first time in the brand’s history, Pop-Tarts partnered with the same independent artist to design the edible ‘Printed Fun’ frosting art featured directly on the Pop-Tarts themselves.
“NEON Pink Block Party Lemonade” Pride Boxes designed by illustrator Thaddeus Coates (pictured).
Coates’ artwork, called “Issa Block Party,” features scenes that not only depict joyful images of LGBTQ+ pride, but that emphasize and amplify the specific pride and joy of BIPOC LGBTQ+ community members. The limited edition treats highlight and celebrate Black Queer joy and call back to a Pride once powered by Black and Latina women such as Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Stormé DeLarverie, and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy.
“NEON Pink Block Party Lemonade” Pop-Tarts frosting art design, illustrated by Thaddeus Coates.
“Issa Block Party” reminds us that we are each “One of a Kind, But Never Alone,” as the block party theme calls on the long history of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people finding and forming their own chosen communities and families when they’ve been denied access to kinship, care, and friendship elsewhere.
“NEON Pink Block Party Lemonade” Pop-Tarts frosting art design, illustrated by Thaddeus Coates.
“Understanding that sometimes you can feel like you are the only one experiencing your current circumstances, especially when you’re younger, the NEON team came together to conceptualize this project knowing the importance it makes for LGBTQ+ communities of color to see themselves this pride season,” says Major Nesby, NEON’s Founder.
“NEON Pink Block Party Lemonade” Pop-Tarts frosting art design, illustrated by Thaddeus Coates.
Starting today, 450 boxes of NEON Pink Block Party Lemonade Pop-Tarts will be available for purchase, at $5 each, on Pop-Tarts’ Instagram shop. Each Friday, for the entirety of Pride Month, an additional 450 boxes will be released for purchase.
Additionally, each Friday in June one of the four LGBTQ+ and BIPOC community partners below will be spotlighted on Pop-Tarts’ social channels:
Bronx Book Festival/The Bronx is Reading
A social impact organization that celebrates literacy and fosters a love of reading among children, teens, and adults, the Bronx Book Festival/The Bronx is Reading works towards empowering the next generation of readers and writers through their annual Bronx Book Festival, The Bronx is Reading Literacy Program, a monthly book club, and online and pop-up bookstores.
Destination Tomorrow
Destination Tomorrow is a grassroots organization that originated as the LGBTQ+ center of the Bronx, but recently opened its doors to the community in Atlanta. They believe that no individual should have to leave their neighborhood to access LGBTQ+ specific services.
Nobody’s Darling
A Queer and POC-owned bar in Chicago, Nobody’s Darling prides itself on being a safe space for women and other marginalized voices. The bar was named a James Beard Award Finalist in March 2022.
The Salt Eaters Bookshop
The Salt Eaters Bookshop is an independent bookshop in Inglewood, California that prioritizes books, comics, zines, and stories by and about Black women, girls, femmes, and gender expansive people. They aim to create a community gathering space and resting ground for all those who are looking for a place to call home.
In addition to being featured on Pop-Tarts’ social media, each organization will receive a $10,000 grant to continue fostering inclusive communities that represent and celebrate BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people. Pop-Tarts will also be donating additional money to each organization enabled by the sale of the Pride Box.
Pop-Tarts will also make a $100,000 contribution to GLAAD to support programming efforts that accelerate acceptance and increase visibility for the LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+ BIPOC communities.
The 2022 Pride Boxes and NEON Pink Block Party Lemonade Pop-Tarts mark a distinct dedication to celebrating and uplifting the unique voices, experiences, and contributions that LGBTQ+ BIPOC have to offer (and have offered) their communities.
“NEON Pink Block Party Lemonade” Pop-Tarts frosting art design, illustrated by Thaddeus Coates.
“Pop-Tarts is proud to be a part of Kellogg’s long-standing partnership with GLAAD,” says Carrie Sander, Vice President, General Manager, Portable Wholesome Snacks. “Together, we continue to accelerate acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community, promote representation and visibility, and combat the bullying of LGBTQ+ youth.”
The NEON Pink Block Party Lemonade Pop-Tarts will be lighting up Pride all month long. To catch limited edition Pride Box releases, directly support LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities, and learn about all things Pop-Tarts, keep an eye on the brand’s Instagram and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.