Adidas is taking heat for its new line of ‘Pride 2023’ women’s swimwear that appears to be modeled online by a biological male.
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The colorful, one-piece women’s Pride Swimsuit was worn on the Adidas website by what appears to be a hairy-chested male model, who displayed a bulging crotch to complete the ensemble. A video on the company’s website also shows the model strutting while wearing the swimsuit.
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The swimsuit line was designed by South African Rich Mnisi and dubbed “Let Love Be Your Legacy.” Released ahead of Pride month in June, the line is “a celebration of self-expression, imagination, and the unwavering belief that love unites,” according to Adidas.
Adidas also said the line serves as “a rallying cry for active allyship to empower and champion the LGBTQIA+ community.”
But the decision to use a seemingly male model, who could identify as transgender or non-binary, didn’t sit well with some women on social media, according to the New York Post.
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A tweet by internet personality Oli London, which read “The new Adidas Women’s Swimwear Range modeled by…men,” was seen by more than 1.1 million users, many of whom slammed Adidas for being “woke.”
“I don’t understand why companies are voluntarily doing this to themselves,” former NCAA swimmer and women’s rights activist Riley Gaines tweeted. “They could have at least said the suit is ‘unisex,’ but they didn’t because it’s about erasing women. Ever wondered why we hardly see this go the other way?”
Another woman tweeted that “I have breasts, hips, and no need for an extra pouch of fabric around my labia. I guess that means this bathing suit isn’t for me.. or most women. In which other instances do companies advertise to a demographic of ~1%? Women make up ~50% and we’re struggling lol! Make it make sense.”
Other clothing in Adidas’s new Pride line, is being sold as made for women but modeled by men. Women’s dresses, T-shirts, shorts, and soccer jerseys, all with “Love Wins” on them, were worn by models who appear male.