Hershey’s International Women’s Day campaign advertisement, which features a transgender woman, has come under fire from far-right groups calling for a boycott of the company. The advert, which was created for the annual celebration of women’s rights, included Fae Johnstone, a trans and feminist activist, alongside several other women, displaying newly designed IWD wrappers, some of which featured the color scheme of the trans flag.
The inclusion of Johnstone and the message of authenticity and togetherness was apparently too much for right-wing Twitter users to handle, with #BoycottHersheys trending after the commercial aired. Buzzwords such as “woke” and “propaganda” littered the Twitter space, as well as hateful messages by anti-trans pundits calling trans women men.
In response to the backlash, Johnstone wrote a Twitter thread explaining that celebrating young women, including trans women, is incredibly important. She wrote, “Trans women are women. We face systemic discrimination on the basis of both misogyny and transphobia – from harassment to hate, poverty and homelessness. I am proud to be a part of this campaign alongside four brilliant young women and change-makers, thank you Hershey’s Canada for including me.”
Hershey’s spokesperson said that the company recognises the “strength created by diversity” and would work hard to meet that end. “Over the past three years, our Women’s History Month programming has been an inclusive celebration of women. We appreciate the countless people and meaningful partnerships behind these efforts.”
This is not the first time that right-wing groups have taken offense to a brand’s LGBTQ+ representation. Last year, M&S, Tampax, and even Peppa Pig were the subject of brief boycotts as anti-LGBTQ+ groups shared their outrage. In another recent boycott, professional rugby league players took exception to an LGBTQ+ Pride top revealed by Australia’s Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. Several players refused to play in protest against a rainbow printed on a jersey. In response, former Sea Eagles prop Ian Roberts – the first rugby player in the world to come out as gay – said he had been left heartbroken by the boycott.
