Not long after everyone at the Golden Globes donned black to show support for the #TimesUp movement against sexual harassment, the pastries at The Bagel Store are following suit. The Williamsburg bagel shop, known for its viral and oft-imitated rainbow bagels, announced on Instagram today that it had released the duo-chromatic truffle-oil bagels “to honor the TimesUp Movement #weagree.”
The post– which bore hashtags like #eatforacause, #equality, and #solidarity as well as #forkyeah, #eeeeeats, and #foodies– drew over 1,200 likes in five hours, but a few Instagrammers expressed concern. One user, @jessicacohn3x5, wrote that “this would look a lot better if some level (if not all) of proceeds from these bagels were donated to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.” That drew agreement from @brianjcarney: “just using the hashtag is great to drive awareness but it won’t help the cause much.”
The Bagel Store responded: “We support many amazing causes on all levels. We work privately with organizations and individuals and will continue to do so. We wanted to use our platform to support, honor and bring awareness to this cause in the way we do best.”
Time’s Up, a leaderless initiative started by women in the entertainment industry, has raised over $16 million for its Legal Defense Fund via Gofundme. The money will “provide subsidized legal support to women and men who have experienced sexual harassment, assault, or abuse in the workplace and while in pursuit of their careers,” according to the fundraising page.
The black-and-white bagels are available at the store’s 754 Metropolitan Avenue location or online.