A major British coffee chain has been roasted over its decision to display a controversial mural depicting a trans-identifying biological female complete with double masectomy scars on one of its trucks.
Costa Coffee has been hit with a barrage of criticism since an image of the mural went viral on Sunday, with many suggesting it could lead to a boycott of the company, which operates over 13,500 locations across the United Kingdom.
The mural was first brought to the attention of the public by Thoughtful Therapists co-founder James Esse, who asked Costa to "kindly explain why you are glorifying irreversible surgery performed on healthy breasts of women for a mental health condition?"
The tweet has since been viewed nearly 6 million times, and shared around the globe, with thousands sounding off against the company.
The Reclaim Party's Laurence Fox accused Costa of "promoting the mutilation of healthy young girls," adding, "I hope you are boycotted out of existence."
His sentiments were widely shared, and before long, "BoycottCostaCoffee" began to trend on Twitter.
Many questioned why such a well known brand would risk losing customers to pander to a small subsection of the population.
"I find the whole thing truly and utterly extraordinary," GB News' Nigel Farage said on his show. "We know there are a very tiny, tiny percentage of the population that choose that form of gender reassignment, of mutilation, we know that some live to regret it. Quite why big brands and big chains think they have to advertise this I don't know but maybe that is part of the rottenness that is going through the corporate culture from Dr Marten's boots to my bank."
According to the Evening Standard, a spokesperson for Costa has since defended the mural, explaining that it had been part of a larger piece commissioned for a Pride event in 2022.
"At Costa Coffee we celebrate the diversity of our customers, team members and partners," he said. "We want everyone that interacts with us to experience the inclusive environment that we create, to encourage people to feel welcomed, free and unashamedly proud to be themselves. The mural, in its entirety, showcases and celebrates inclusivity."
