Starbucks India Ad Sparks Controversy Over Transgender Acceptance

“A parent’s love and acceptance of their trans child really is everything,” one user wrote, while another said, “It’s time to get over your transphobia.”

But there was also criticism of the ad from some users who accused the brand of trying to use token acceptance of transgender people and said it was “against Indian culture”.

This is not the first ad to spark controversy about the transgender community in India.

In 2021, an ad from Indian jewelry house Bhima captured hearts because it told the story of a trans woman’s transition. It featured trans model Myra, who told the BBC her involvement in the ad had “helped me feel more comfortable with myself”.

India has two million transgender people. Despite the Supreme Court ruling that they have equal rights as other races, many continue to suffer abuse and stigma. Many transgender people are alienated from their families and are forced to beg, prostitute, or dance at events to earn a living.

However, people in the community say that things are slowly changing for the better, at least in certain places, and that they and their stories are now being represented in mainstream culture, be it in advertisements, movies or fashion shows.

The recently concluded Lakme Fashion Week, one of India’s biggest and most respected fashion events, saw two trans women and a non-binary person (third gender) among a group of models for the first time, walking the ramp for some of India’s top designers. It also featured a collection of works by designer Saisha Shinde, who came out as a transgender woman in 2021.

Trans models are stigmatized by major fashion magazines, and a few top designers collaborate with them to showcase their outfits, involve them in campaign launches, and store openings.

Ryan Monkey, a 32-year-old trans fashion and queer writer from Mumbai, says it’s inspiring to see trans people being given these opportunities.

“Seeing someone from this community in a Starbucks ad or on the cover of a fashion magazine means a lot. These are traditionally upscale spaces, so your representation here signals a shift in the way trans people are portrayed and the spaces they are allowed to,” she added.

Durga, an artist and activist who has designed for several major brands, says they are getting a lot more opportunities in fashion today than they did just a few years ago.

“Globally, there is a shift towards creating more inclusive spaces and brands must keep up with this mindset if they are to remain relevant.”

But they also agree that it is often the privileged few within the transgender community who have access to these opportunities.

Designer Saisha Shinde points out that brands often indulge in symbolism by only increasing the visibility of trans people during Pride Month, and then forgetting about that community the rest of the year.

The fact that a trans model walking down the runway is seen as special is problematic, because talent shouldn’t have gender. Fashion labels and brands should not use trans to highlight their ‘brand queerness’, but should incorporate Transgender people in regular ad campaigns to be part of normal.

But some fashion designers say this is difficult due to a lack of awareness and support from the public. Only few in the fashion world are willing to risk losing customers and so there is no real industry-wide change.

Shobika Sharma, founder of the fashion brand Papa Don’t Preach, which has been dressed by international stars such as Paris Hilton and Alia Bhatt, recently launched a jewelry collection in collaboration with activist and poet Alok Vaid-Menon, who considers himself non-binary (third gender) and uses jewelry to express himself, with the goal of sending a message of inclusivity and acceptance.

Sharma says that every time her brand posts about her collection on social media or spotlights a trans model, she loses thousands of followers.

“The luxury fashion market is tough right now, designers have to think about footing the bills and skilled artisans. So, although the onus has historically been on creators and artists to push society to think more openly, it is a tough time to do so consistently,” she says. “.

Yet observers say that when it comes to changing societal values ​​and attitudes, even the smallest bit of representation is welcome, even if it is just a symbolic gesture.

“At least there is representation (of the trans community) even if in a shadow of hate, which is better than no representation at all,” says author and essayist Santosh Desai.

“Through this process of representation, denial and anger, we gradually come to terms with something new and feel comfortable with it.”