Nike tells furious customers ‘Be kind, be inclusive’ over Dylan Mulvaney backlash

Nike today doubled down on a transgender influencer’s efforts to promote its feminine apparel, telling customers calling for a boycott to be “kind and inclusive.”

The company’s tone-deaf response stemmed from women’s concerns about Dylan Mulvaney, who identifies as female but has not had reassignment surgery.

Mulvaney – who uses the pronouns she or she – was spotted in paid content on social media dancing in a Nike sports bra and leggings.

It sparked furious calls for a boycott, with Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies leading the calls and customers flooding the company with complaints.

Today, Nike has responded online for the first time, stating that it would remove comments it believes were not in a spirit of diversity or inclusion.

It read, “You are an essential part of your community’s success.

We welcome comments that contribute to a positive and constructive discussion.

‘Be nice. Be inclusive. Encourage each other. Incitement to hatred, bullying or other behavior that is inconsistent with the spirit of a diverse and inclusive community will be removed.”

It is not the first time that Nike has collaborated with a trans star in their marketing, in 2021 they launched their ‘Play New’ campaign featuring Mara Gomez, who plays in Argentina’s professional football league.

The controversy could affect sales, which had seen a huge boost in recent months as stars like Lioness Chloe Kelly wore their products.

She famously took off her shirt to celebrate scoring in England’s World Cup victory, revealing her sports bra with the famous black check mark.

Ms Davies, who won silver for Team GB in the 400m individual medley at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, said the move was a ‘step back’ after several sporting organizations decided to give biological women their own protected category in competitions.

‘It’s so frustrating. We take two steps forward with World Athletics and Swim England to protect women’s sport and then Nike does this,” she told Dan Wootton tonight on GB News.

“The ad feels like a parody of what women are. In the past it was always seen as an insult to say “run like a girl” and here we have someone behaving in a way that is very unsportsmanlike and very unathletic and it’s so frustrating as only 1 percent of the US sponsorship dollars go to women in sports.

That Nike would do this feels like a kick in the teeth.’

She pleaded for a boycott, saying, “We can protest. It’s what’s left for us at the moment. Nobody seems to listen.

“The only way we can get these companies and governments to listen is to boycott with our wallets.

“It’s all they listen to.”

Ms Davies argued that it is not possible for a biological man to effectively advertise products, such as bras, that have to work for women’s bodies.

She replied: ‘Dylan advertises sports bras when nothing fits in the sports bra – when it’s actually very important that women have good support when they exercise. It just doesn’t make any sense.

“For a long time, Nike sponsored Allyson Felix, one of the world’s most incredible track athletes. When Allyson got pregnant, they cut her sponsorship by 70 percent when something happened to her that only happens to women.

“Women are currently treated with total disregard, especially in the world of sports where physiology makes such a difference.”

A Mumsnetter user wrote, “What are they trying to convey to me, their target audience?

‘That their new sports bras are too wide in the back and don’t have extra room and good support for my breasts?

‘I would have thought that designing sportswear for men and women has a reasonable amount of biological reality to ensure maximum comfort and optimum performance. I feel… mocked. Is this what Nike thinks women are?’

UB40 lead singer Matt Hoy shared one of Mulvaney’s videos on Twitter, writing, “Respect real women. Stop mocking real women.”

Social media star and transgender rights activist Ms. Mulvaney, who lives in Los Angeles, has a large online profile after working as a comedian and Broadway actor and appearing on the hit show The Book of Mormon.

Last October, the influencer interviewed President Joe Biden about the Democrats’ commitment to protecting transgender rights.

And the entertainer has gained a huge following on TikTok as he documented the transition to “girlhood,” with a video series that attracted a billion views.

In it, Mulvaney has dressed up as a doll and discussed thoughts about finding love, starting a family and being a mother.

In January of this year, Mulvaney underwent grueling “facial feminization” surgery, in which facial bones were cut off and abraded to give a softer, more feminine look.

And in March 2021, Mulvaney announced to her followers that she was a girl, although she had not yet undergone sex reassignment surgery.

Following the internet star’s 365th day of “authentic living,” US Vice President Kamala Harris wrote an anniversary letter congratulating the milestone.

In the latest Nike posts on Instagram, Ms. Mulvaney appeared in black leggings and a white sports bra to do yoga poses in a sunny backyard.

The video then showed the star dancing barefoot in a garden while working out while an upbeat song played.

Some people on social media expressed anger at Nike’s decision to partner with Ms. Mulvaney.

One of them wrote, “I used to really enjoy Nike as a brand, but I will never wear a shoe from them again after Dylan Mulvaney became their new womenswear ambassador.”

Meanwhile, Caitlyn Jenner accused the brand of “wiping out women.”

But others praised her ads, writing, “How can someone be so majestic and beautiful?”

It’s unclear how much Ms Mulvaney paid for the posts, but some social media insiders suggest it could be around £40,000 ($50,000) per post.

Ms Mulvaney was previously criticized for carrying Tampax after the company sent out a PR package.

Mulvaney responded by saying, “I carry one sometimes in case someone needs it.”