The co-founder of cosmetics retailer Lush, Mark Constantine, has affirmed his pride in being dubbed “woke”.

The vegan high street brand, founded in 1994 by Constantine and his wife Mo, is well-known for its LGBTQ+ and environmental advocacy.

Earlier this year, the brand proudly stood-up for the trans community in the wake of the controversial Supreme Court ruling and released a campaign in partnership with trans-led organisations TransActual and My Genderation to reaffirm its commitment to trans rights and visibility. Following this, the brand ended its collaboration with Download Festival on principle after the rock music festival said single-sex spaces like toilets would be operated on the basis of “biological sex”.

“I like being woke,” the cosmetics boss told the BBC, who describes himself as an “over-achiever and a nerd”.

He added that those who do not agree with his social justice focused business practices “shouldn’t come in my shop”.

Constantine’s bold statement comes as many businesses on both sides of the pond are increasingly shying away from activism and diversity, equality and inclusion polices amid Trump’s crackdown on DEI – which saw such policies culled from the government and military – and MAGA supporter Robby Starbuck‘s aggressive campaign against inclusion.

The changing tide on DEI has been felt across the business world, with notable brands like Target, Walmart, Ford, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson and Jack Daniel’s ditching their DEI policies under pressure from right-wing.

Just three months ago, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield announced he was quitting the firm after nearly half a century because – he claimed – the company’s social activism has been “silenced” by parent corporation Unilever.

The ice cream brand has long advocated for social issues, including LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, refugee rights, climate activism, fair trade and supporting Palestine, but in Greenfield’s resignation letter he said the firm was being blocked by Unilever.

“Standing up for the values of justice, equity, and our shared humanity has never been more important, and yet Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power,” he said.

“It’s easy to stand up and speak out when there’s nothing at risk. The real test of values is when times are challenging and you have something to lose.”

Commenting on the situation at Ben and Jerry’s, Constantine said: “If you’ve sold your business to someone else, I think you’re asking a lot for them to do everything you want. What should Ben and Jerry have done? They should never have sold.”

In response to Constantine’s comments, Ben and Jerry’s other cofounder, Ben Cohen, said he has a “huge appreciation for Lush, their values, and how they use their most powerful tool – their voice – to advocate for those values”.

“I’m not ‘asking’ for anything,” Cohen added.

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