Seafolly’s non-binary ambassador says they were abused in ‘queer Melbourne suburb’

A non-binary activist who made headlines when they were named an ambassador for the Seafolly women’s swimwear brand has revealed they were abused on the streets of Melbourne while wearing a Trans Lifes Matter T-shirt.

Deni Todorovič, 34, who was assigned male at birth but she/who uses pronouns and identifies as non-binary, recalled the incident on ABC’s question and answer Monday during a discussion about transphobia and gender diversity.

The podcaster recently launched a Trans Lives Matter movement in Melbourne, saying they felt “unsafe” in Brunswick after being “verbally assaulted” six times in one day, despite the area being “super queer”.

Deni started by explaining that they recently moved from Barwon Heads near Geelong to the inner-city suburb of Brunswick.

“I’ve been a Geelong boy all my life, born and bred and I’m so proud of Geelong, but it’s a really damn hard place to live when you’re a trans person,” they said.

The author recalled how one person ran through his car window to call Deni a “f*g,” while another person confronted them on the street.

“I was asked by a man because I was wearing a Trans Lives Matter T-shirt, ‘What’s between your legs?’ I was really surprised. And then his girlfriend started filming me,” Deni complained.

And this is a micro-aggression. It’s actually not very micro at all. And then you compartmentalize, “Who am I? Why am I here? I don’t feel safe,” they added.

Deni, who was assigned male at birth but uses she/she pronouns and identifies as non-binary, recalled the incident on ABC’s Q&A on Monday during a discussion about transphobia and gender diversity

It comes after Deni caused backlash after she claimed they were an ‘ambassador’ for Seafolly, which is known for its advertisements featuring the world’s most famous female models, including Miranda Kerr and Gigi Hadid.

Deni’s role at Seafolly has been celebrated by a number of celebrities, including former brand ambassador Jesinta Franklin.

Many shoppers also left positive comments on Seafolly’s official Instagram account to celebrate the label’s commitment to diversity.

‘As someone who hasn’t shopped at Seafolly in years, I’m back now! I love seeing brands being inclusive and that’s where I want my money to go,” one woman wrote.

“So great to see this, Seafolly. I love to see brands pioneering the celebration of pride and inclusion,” added another.

However, some consumers were less than impressed with Deni’s role with the brand.

“I was asked by a man because I was wearing a Trans Lives Matter T-shirt, ‘What’s between your legs?’ I was really surprised. And then his girlfriend started filming me,” Deni complained

Deni recently starred in a campaign for Seafolly, which is known for its ads featuring some of the world’s most famous female models, including Miranda Kerr, Gigi Hadid, Shanina Shaik, Lara Worthington, Samantha Harris and Jesinta Franklin

‘This is a joke. We support diversity and individual decisions, but we don’t want to see women’s clothing that we want to buy on a male body…” said one of them.

“There are other ways to support pride and individual choice, but not this way. Sincerely, one of your loyal customers.’

Another wrote: ‘As a woman I don’t want to look like that in a bikini.

“I’m not going to buy this product. People need to get back to reality. Stop turning our world into a circus.’

Because of the negative comments, Seafolly was forced to issue a statement condemning the “hate speech.”

We are here to celebrate the Australian beach lifestyle and inspire each other to be confident on the beach.

“In this community, we do not tolerate abusive, offensive, hate speech, trolling, intentional disruption of discussion, or spam. Please respect each other’s differences and remember to always be nice.’

In 2021, Deni was criticized for turning Melbourne Fashion Week into a ‘pride parade’ while working as a stylist and curator on the event.

While Deni was hired to work backstage at the event, they shocked spectators by storming the runway with a pride flag and a “she/it” T-shirt on the front, eclipsing the models in the fashion show.

Seafolly released a statement regarding their latest campaign saying they continue to support and uplift women. The statement also noted that Todorovič was not the brand’s new ambassador, but rather a “special guest” of their World Pride event in Sydney.