In the aftermath of International Women’s Day, Hershey’s chocolate faced significant backlash following their decision to hire Fae Johnstone, a 27-year-old transgender woman, as their spokesperson for their Canadian HER for SHE campaign. Upon experiencing criticism from those who questioned her legitimacy as a woman, Johnstone fearlessly responded, vowing to continue advocating for women’s rights despite the negativity.
Johnstone boldly accused Hershey’s of not genuinely caring about women, which subsequently led to a large-scale boycott from disgruntled customers. Many people took issue with Johnstone’s representation of the chocolate company due to her being a transgender woman, rather than someone who was born with a gender identity matching their biological sex.
Johnstone emphasized that the backlash she received only served to highlight the far-right’s growing focus on targeting transgender individuals, particularly trans women.
In a tweet, she stated, “The reaction to my inclusion as a trans woman in Hershey’s Canada’s IWD campaign shows just how far we still have to go in the fight for feminist liberation and trans rights. They’re coming for us. We need our allies now more than ever.”
Despite the criticism and hate directed toward her, Johnstone, a white Canadian, remained steadfast in her commitment to advocating for women and girls of all gender identities.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m not shutting up. I will always stand up for women and girls, cis and trans,” she declared.
Having co-founded a small consulting firm, Johnstone worked diligently to become a top spokesperson for the American chocolate company’s Canadian campaign. The HER for SHE initiative launched on International Women’s Day, featuring Johnstone and four other women on the wrappers of Hershey’s chocolate bars throughout March in an effort to raise awareness for women’s issues.
Johnstone’s dedication to fighting for LGBTQ rights has been evident for years. In 2019, she was awarded the LGBT Youth Line Trans Activism award and has served on the board of the LGBT Youth Line and the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity. Additionally, she has been a member of the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health’s Strategic Advisory Council.
Shortly after the unveiling of Hershey’s new wrappers, people began urging others to join them in boycotting the chocolate company. Johnstone responded on Twitter with a mix of surprise and determination, stating, “Spurring an international campaign to boycott a chocolate company definitely wasn’t on my list of predictions for 2023.”
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Sources: AWM