
Hershey’s Ad Starring A Trans Woman Ignites Calls For A Boycott
Far-right groups across America are calling for a boycott of the chocolate company Hershey鈥檚 after they included a trans woman in their International Women鈥檚 Day (IWD) campaign.
The woman, in particular, is trans and feminist activist, Fae Johnstone who, along with a few other women, were shown in the advert holding the wrappers that were newly designed for IWD.
鈥淲e can create a world where everyone is able to live in public spaces as their honest and authentic selves,鈥 Johnstone said in the clip.
The chocolate’s out of the wrapper!
Honoured to be featured in this campaign by Canada for alongside 4 brilliant sisters and change-makers.
鈥 Fae Johnstone, MSW (@FaeJohnstone)
As the executive director of Wisdom2Action, Johnstone hoped that the message of unity and authenticity would resonate with people.
鈥淚 am proud to be a part of this campaign alongside four brilliant young women and change-makers,鈥 she said in a Twitter post.
鈥淐elebrating young women is an important way to show women and girls can change the world, that we are already creating change around the world.鈥
Short Statement: It was, and continues to be, an immense honour to be included in Hersheys Canada鈥檚 campaign, as a young trans woman & feminist advocate.
鈥 Fae Johnstone, MSW (@FaeJohnstone)
鈥淭rans women are women. We face systemic discrimination on the basis of both misogyny and transphobia – from harassment to hate, poverty and homelessness and more. I am thankful to Hershey鈥檚 Canada for including me in their campaign.鈥
Twitter Users Get Fired Up
However, it wasn鈥檛 long before the right-wing began calling for a boycott of Hershey鈥檚 after the advert aired, with #BoycottHersheys trending on Twitter.
鈥淭he smug look of an abusive, misogynistic male who knows he has successfully invaded spaces meant exclusively for women,鈥 one user wrote.
鈥淣o matter what HimHe is wrapped in, HimHe is not a HerShe, and never will be. It’s International Women’s Day, not International Men Who Pretend To Be Women Day,鈥 another wrote.
How does it honor women to feature a MAN wearing lipstick?
Did you feature a white man in blackface during Black History month?
鈥 Dana (@LisannaDana)
One user pointed out that it鈥檚 not just the right-wing calling for the boycott, stating that 鈥渕any leftist feminists are pretty angry about it too.鈥
鈥淲omen are angry because Fae is not a woman,鈥 they wrote.
Hershey’s Speak Up
A spokesperson for Hershey鈥檚 spoke with CNN, stating that the company recognises the 鈥渟trength created by diversity鈥 and strives to meet that end.
鈥淥ver the past three years, our Women鈥檚 History Month programming has been an inclusive celebration of women. We appreciate the countless people and meaningful partnerships behind these efforts,鈥 they said.






I am so breathlessly tired of this hate,I changed over 50yrs ago next year and I hardly ever go anywhere now because of all the violence and hate I have been through as a trans lady.