Is Libra Tampon Commercial Transphobic?

Was this tampon commercial transphobic? Watch it and decide for yourself.

TAMPON maker Libra has been branded "outrageously transphobic" over its new ad implying transgender people are not real women because they don't menstruate.

The television commercial depicts a drag queen character and a blonde woman standing side by side in nightclub restroom putting on mascara and lip gloss, and adjusting their bras competitively.

The blonde woman then pulls out her Libra tampon, leaving the drag queen to storm out of the toilets in a huff.

The ad, which wraps with the catch phrase "Libra gets girls", has faced a storm of criticism, with dozens posting harsh comments on the company's Facebook page.

One woman, Gabeh Lissette Gutierrez, posted: "I'm not sure what is more disgusting, the blatant transphobia or the inclination that a period is what defines a woman's femininity.

"Seriously, what were you thinking?"

Another poster, Miserys Malice, hit out at the "get girls" phrase, writing: "So, for the females who've gone through the likes of menopause or hysterectomies I suppose Libra failed to 'get those girls'?"

"Having an advertising campaign where some snooty-nosed woman is going to resort to whipping out her feminine hygiene product in the face of someone who doesn't have a menstrual cycle therefore rendering her a winner, maybe was in bad taste and poor form."

A handful of supporters, all men, defended the ad, saying the criticisms were political correctness gone crazy.

But female critics hit back, saying the ad was probably written by men who, obviously, neither menstruate nor buy Libra products.

SCA, which owns the brand, has yet to respond to media calls.

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  News & Politics

[LilMaryAnn8]

Yes it is.

1. It suggests that reproductive capacity is what defines a woman, but many women cannot reproduce, not just trans women. This is both sexist and cissexist/transphobic.

2. It perpetuates stereotypes that trans women are: (a) in competition with cis women (they're not); (b) invaders of women's spaces (they're not).

If you want to see an ad that doesn't make trans women into a joke, but instead portrays them as fully human, look for 'Banco Provincia - "Transgender Apology"' on YouTube.

[wheedler]

Running a beauty pageant doesn't leave you open to abuse.

[Thomas Oliver]

I find this ad hysterically funny

[matildauebel]

Thats the best you got? Why even bother commenting if thats all you have to say? Could you at least try to be a little original? Stop being so pathetic

[Adam Sumner]

They are called "chromosomes". I know there are multiple combinations of x and y chromosomes but I think it is ridiculous to say there are any more than 3 sexes at the extreme end. Really there are two and the rest are just aberrations. Those rare examples that don't fit the usual categories need not confuse thing for the majority who can be clearly distinguished as either male or female. The freaks don't rule the world so stop treating them as if they did.

[Adam Sumner]

Get over it!

[wheedler]

I was just the negating the argument that you can do something to leave yourself open to transphobic behavior. It's not cool no matter what you've done or started.

[KristofskiKabuki]

Actually, people who study these things have defined 7 different sexes, defined by differences in chromasomes, gonad tissue and physical genital shape.

[EPICsliceOFcake]

Are you serious? What abuse?

[ben dean]

Oh please! I remember seeing this ad on TV and I thought it was funny. People need to stop taking things so seriously.

[Geoffrey Dickman]

No. It's just a dumb ad - most probably written by young men who think they're being funny about a drag queen being competitive with an attractive woman in her 20s. I'd be more interested to see the social dynamic beyond the bathroom.

But it's a (silly) ad promoting feminine hygiene products so lets not make more of it than we need to.

[bCheeesY]

No