Ahead of the month of June, when every company under the sun launches rainbow printed collections and changes their profile pictures to celebrate Pride Month, Adidas has launched its own pride collection, featuring a women’s swimsuit modeled on biological males.
The Pride Swimsuit, which was launched in the Adidas x Rich Mnisi Pride Collection, is featured on two biological male models with bulges and chest hair clearly showing, marketed in the women’s sportswear section.
The one-piece swimsuit features a front emblazoned with rainbow blobs, as well as black and white circles showcasing the two collaborators’ names as well as the phrase "love unites."
"A celebration of self-expression, imagination and the unwavering belief that love unites, the collaboration explores fluidity, color and patterns. This partnership is one part of our effort to honor the LGBTQIA+ community alongside our Global Purpose partner Athlete Ally," Adidas’ website states.
"We're all unique, but we're all connected by love. That's the message of this adidas swimsuit, designed in collaboration with Rich Mnisi. The exuberant print brings joyful energy to your day at the beach," the website’s description added.
Adidas clearly wasn’t marketing to women with this swimsuit, as women don’t possess that visible male appendage between the legs and a male body modeling the swimsuit gives no indication of the coverage the top provides. Adidas was likely not marketing toward the average male, either. Instead, Adidas is marketing to some of the 7.2 percent of Americans that identify as LGBTQ, and male transexuals who wish to wear ladies' gear.
The collection also features the same biological males advertising women’s t-shirts, women’s dresses, and sports bras.
Clothing brands have recently taken to advertising to women using male bodies, including Nike, who sent Mulvaney clothing that appeared in the transgender TikToker’s Instagram. Mulvaney, who is a biological male, was seen clad in a sports bra and leggings prancing around outside and celebrating "365 days of girlhood." Mulvaney also advertised spring dresses and accessories for Kate Spade.
One luxury lingerie brand, Honey Birdette, which previously used the slogan "by women for women," used a biological male model who identifies as nonbinary to advertise their products, including a bra, thong and garter belt.
Other brands that think using men to advertise to women include Anthropologie, Tampax, and Ulta Beauty. In Nike’s case, women have vowed to burn their bras in protest of the Mulvaney partnership.
Anthropologie has received similar anger pointed towards them after using a male model to advertise their women’s clothing.
Biological males have entered women’s sports, their spaces, and now, their bodies are being used to advertise to the everyday American woman.
