‘Gay Away’ joke candy pulled from Manitoba store after complaints

A dollar store in Manitoba has pulled a gag product called 'Gay Away candy' from its shelves following complaints from customers.

The candy advertises as medical pills that can "cure gayness" and "stop the craving for misbehaving." Inside the package is a blister pack with 10 pieces of candy.

Instructions on the back of the package state, "If after two weeks you still like your meat rare and find yourself still knocking at the back door, increase dose to 4 pills a day."

Gay Away was being sold alongside other novelty fake medicines manufactured by the same company, such as Nagotine "for people who nag smokers."

"It's absolutely not right," a local resident tells CBC about the candy found at Deals for Dollars in Gimli, Man. "I'm embarrassed, actually, to tell you the truth, that you guys found this in our community… I don't support this is any way, shape or form."

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Another resident says his 12-year-old daughter brought home a packet of the gum with questions as to what it was.

Store owner Rachelle Mistelbacher apologized and insisted that the addition of Gay Away was an oversight and an "honest mistake."

A store manager claims the product was removed from store shelves on Wednesday following the first phone call from a disgruntled customer. She says staff didn't order the product, but that it was added to shelves by a supply representative for the store.

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"We usually order but what happened this time is we let the rep order. We hadn't even known it was there," she says.

The product is manufactured by Laughrat, a Toronto company whose other gag candy includes Over the Hill anti-aging pills, Midlife Crisis pills and Ultra Bliss marriage boosters pills.

What are your thoughts on Gay Away gag candy? Is it offensive or humorous? Sound off in the comments below.