Tuesday, January 03, 2012

'Transphobic' tampon ad causes outrage in New Zealand

Transgender advocates claim a new tampon advertisement takes the cringe factor surrounding women's sanitary products to new lows by stereotyping its community members. An ad from global hygiene and paper company Libra featuring a drag queen character and a blonde woman is currently appearing on New Zealand television.

Both women sneak glances at each other while they get competitive about putting on their mascara in a mirror, lipgloss and adjusting their bras. In an apparent coup de grace the blonde pulls out a tampon and the drag queen walks out of the bathroom.


YouTube link.

Agender NZ president Cherise Witehira, said many in the transgender community were outraged at the ads which were "blatantly transphobic". "It's extremely offensive because it's pretty much saying the only way you can be a woman is to get your period.

"That's where a lot of the anger in the community is coming from - it's saying you are not a woman unless you can get your period. Obviously we can't menstruate. However, we identify as female." The "bitchy" ad also stereotyped all transgender women as drag queens, and reinforced the belief that transgendered people were not normal, Ms Witehira said. She will be asking for the ads to be pulled.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Lord.....when you said she pulled out a tampon, it would have been FAR less cringey if you'd mentioned she pulled it out of her PURSE....

What a stupid premise anyhow...women aren't all menstruating, nor do they all use tampons. And the queen is WAY more fabulous than the chick....