Transgender consumers—how brands can provide meaningful support in a time of social injustice

In the aftermath of last month’s Dylan Mulvaney fiasco, I fear marketers are about to run as far away as possible from the transgender and gender-nonconforming community. I urge them to reconsider. Giving a voice to this community instead of turning away from them is not only the right thing to do, but it can also yield more commercial effectiveness if done thoughtfully and through authentic audience engagement. According to a recent study, 91% of LGBTQ+ and a whopping 76% of non-LGBTQ 18- to 44 -year-olds say they actively seek out LGBTQ+ content— including the T—in media. Yet less than half of either group say they’re satisfied with how LGBTQ+ people are represented. Perhaps they are craving more deliberate and meaningful action from brands in these times of social injustice. Nearly two-thirds of Gen Zers say they’re worried about the current state of LGBTQ+ rights in the United States, according to Toluna. And with more than 960 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in the U.S.—of which 220 specifically target transgender people—that’s a lot to worry about. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 32 states have now either banned or are considering banning gender-affirming care for minors—leaving 50% of transgender youth in America without the kind of care that often includes basic counseling and mental health services. And nearly a dozen states have adopted or introduced bills banning drag shows. One of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised communities in the country is actively being erased and without support or a voice. Public perception aside, there’s a human and moral imperative to act. Imagine you’re a transgender 12-year-old who has long identified as a boy—which your classmates have always known you as. Suddenly your school forces students to wear ID badges displaying their biological sex at birth, and now you must walk the hallways being tormented and dehumanized due to a name badge identifying you as female. Your teachers and counselors—who can’t “say gay”—are legally powerless to help. This describes the gist of a call I received recently as a volunteer crisis counselor for a national suicide-prevention nonprofit organization, and it wasn’t unusual. This has a real-world impact: We’ve seen a massive influx of transgender and gender-nonconforming youth at risk of suicide since the discourse between politicians, activists, social commentators and media became increasingly divisive. How we show up as a society, and as brands with influence, can make a huge difference. What are brands to do when they have the power to be the antidotes for change, but taking on that responsibility doesn’t come without risk? Let me offer some considerations for getting it right: Connect the dots Where do your brand’s values intersect with your current and prospective consumers’ values, your corporate values and culture? What larger brand KPI are you prioritizing driving engagement in service of? What risks are you willing to take and how will you measure them? Connect the dots by answering these fundamental questions when venturing into risky territory so that blind spots can be eliminated. Ad Age Best Places to Work 2023 50 companies doing a standout job See the full list here Be purposeful versus performative Are you incorporating diverse people in your advertising just to appear inclusive, or are you leveraging an ownable insight demonstrating your brand’s empathy for that community and desire to continue a meaningful conversation? Too often, brands stop at surface-level inclusion when it comes to LGBTQ+ people and themes to minimize risk. But they forget to calculate the risk of looking performative or of doing nothing at all. Don’t be silent Act Up’s slogan during the AIDS crisis reminds us that SILENCE = DEATH. We are at another point in society where this again rings true—both for transgender and gender-nonconforming communities whose dignity and lives are at stake and for brands that sit on the sidelines. If they want to back words and gestures with meaningful actions, brands and their parent companies can use their power to give a voice to those who are being silenced. In addition to purposeful inclusion, brands can pay attention to the bills being debated in states and communities where they are headquartered and operate and speak out against them. And they can donate to or work with organizations advocating for the transgender and gender nonconforming community—GLAAD has a great list of them. June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. And while typically brands can risk looking performative by showing up only during this time of year, I’d argue that these are not normal times, and that the transgender and gender-nonconforming community needs the help of brands now more than ever. There’s no better time than now for brands to show up with support—and no more important time than now for them to stay. Subscribe to Ad Age Sign up now for the latest industry news and analysis Click here

Transgender consumers—how brands can provide meaningful support in a time of social injustice

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