Ipsy, the cosmetics corporation, has apologized for a promotional video it recently posted.
The public mea culpa came after online critics accused the beauty company of encouraging transphobia. Ipsy originally released the video in support of Pride month.
In the original clip, a lesbian named Cassandra discussed her experiences as a gay woman.
In the video, according to Pink News, Cassandra stated that “I’m attracted to women and there’s definitely a spectrum between trans women, between authentic cis-gendered women, and everything in between.”
The resulting backlash came fast and furious, including numerous critiques on social media, across multiple platforms.
The company was accused of promoting “TERF” policies. (TERF is an acronym for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist.”)
Among the voices raised in dispute was Ijeoma Oluo. The author said that Ipsy had done trans individuals a disservice–furthermore, Oluo said, the brand had deleted critical comments from trans individuals. Critics took Ipsy to task for claiming that trans women were not authentic women.
The company responded by saying they had created the video in hopes of sharing “heartfelt stories” by LGBTQ creators. Ipsy’s spokespeople said that they had erred against inclusivity.
The company’s stumble comes at a time when other beauty brands have engaged in organized outreach campaigns; Sephora recently announced that it would develop trans-centric makeup classes, as administered by trans individuals.
Ipsy has since deleted the video.