Anti-trans statements are swirling around online, after two major sports brands revealed inclusive campaigns this spring/summer season.
First, Nike came under fire for using trans model Dylan Mulvaney to showcase a sports bra, and now, Adidas is facing similar backlash after unveiling a new Pride swimsuit.
Both brands have been accused of being ‘woke’ and ‘erasing women’ through their choice of models.
But for Danielle St James, chief executive of Not a Phase, a charity that supports trans adults, the rhetoric is yet another ‘sad state of affairs’.
‘It’s completely unsurprising and entirely expected these days to see this reaction,’ says St James, who’s also the founder of Zoah, an inclusive underwear and swimwear brand.
‘On a personal level, I know first hand how impactful representation in advertising and the media can be.
‘Seeing yourself reflected in someone else can be revelatory, this is why I am such a champion of brands embracing Pride season and carrying their support on throughout the year.’
Adidas’s new Pride collection, which has been designed by queer South African designer Rich Mnisi, has been made in collaboration with non-profit Athlete Ally, which works to end homophobia and transphobia in sports – making the backlash and hate even more disappointing.
On Twitter, those unhappy with the choices of models have aired their thoughts, with some calling for boycotts.
One woman complained: ‘WOW I’m already boycotting Nike now I gotta boycott adidas. Someone should make a list of non-woke companies so we can give them our business.’
Former National Collegiate Athletic Association women’s swim athlete Riley Gaines, added: ‘I don’t understand why companies are voluntarily doing this to themselves.
‘They could have at least said the suit is “unisex”, but they didn’t because it’s about erasing women. Ever wondered why we hardly see this go the other way?’
And unfortunately, these are some of the more tame comments out there.
Danielle says: ‘A big part of my professional life is working with brands and companies on ethical and diverse inclusion, my only critique of this particular campaign is that they should have listed the Pride range as gender neutral, which would have taken the steam out of the inevitable anti-trans backlash.
‘The notion that campaigns like these are contributing to female erasure is pitiful.
‘If we take Adidas as an example, they go live with hundreds of campaigns throughout the year and yet this one single campaign, celebrating a gender diverse model, is demonised.
‘For me, the key learning to be taken away from this, if you are a company or a brand, is that we (trans+ people) need you more than ever to show visible support and to prepare your comms teams on how to deal with hatred effectively.’
Katy Montgomerie, who’s a LGBTQ+ campaigner, shares similar views. She’s pleased to see brands continuing to include trans women like her in their ads, despite the backlash they often receive. She points to the debate that ensued after Bud Light sent Dylan Mulveny a single beer with her face on it – as they had with other influencers – as an example.
‘I think it’s good to see companies still acknowledging that […] working with trans people is still profitable and a morally good thing to do,’ she says.
‘But [it] can be terrifying to see companies and organisations back down in the face of extreme transphobia.’
She believes when people speak of ‘erasing women’, they don’t understand exactly what they’re saying.
‘What they don’t like is trans people being acknowledged as equals or normal members of society at all,’ she says.
‘They realise they can’t say that out loud, so they’ve come up with a phrase they can say that means the same thing, but that has the plausible deniability of not sounding like that to the uninformed.
‘It also allows them to reframe the discussion away from their attempts to remove our human rights to a nonsense time wasting discussion.’
It’s important that trans inclusion happens in the media, given how seldom big brands take the opportunity to speak to this community.
Aby Hawker, CEO of Transmission PR, a communications company that specialises in trans and non-binary inclusion and awareness, says fears around ‘erasure’ are unfounded.
‘It’s important to reiterate the fact that trans people represent around one per cent of the population,’ she says.
‘There is no logic in the notion that women, who represent around 50% of the population, are in danger of being erased by this tiny minority that is itself under the very real threat of erasure.
‘It is vital that brands like Adidas continue to be bold and demonstrate their support for trans people who are increasingly under attack.
‘This Pride campaign is dedicated to ending homophobia and transphobia in sport, a hugely important objective.
‘What matters now is how it navigates the pushback from those who openly reject the notion of trans inclusion, something we have seen it time and again.’
She believes brands that want to make a statement, must ‘dig their heels in’ and work to pre-empt negative feedback, so plans of action to help are in place.
‘Most importantly, they must ensure that the individuals they are working with feel safe and supported,’ she adds.
Katy warns, buying products from brands that work with trans people only does so much.
‘If you see the crazy reaction to a trans person in an advert and want to do something to show your support for us, don’t just go out and by the product thinking it’ll help,’ she explains.
‘Please spend just 10 minutes writing an email to your MP saying you oppose the attacks on our rights and demand to know what they’re going to do to oppose them.
‘Don’t get suckered into the idea that transphobia will be defeated by buying things.’
No doubt, we’ll see this play out again next time a brand uses similar imagery – we can only hope they’re prepared and are supporting those affected by the transphobia.
Metro.co.uk reached out to Adidas for comment and will update this if they respond.
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