Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies is leading a boycott of Nike after she paid a controversial transgender influencer to promote his female sportswear line.
Dylan Mulvaney, 26, who is currently taking hormones to transition into a woman, posed for a series of photos and videos promoting the brand’s sports bra and leggings.
The swimmer, who won silver for Team GB at the 1980 Moscow Olympics in the 400-meter individual medley, said the move was a “step back” after several sports 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 is so frustrating as only 1% of the US sponsorship dollars go to women in sports. That Nike would do this feels like a kick in the teeth.’
In a series of posts on Tuesday, Dylan Mulvaney shared videos and images of herself wearing Nike leggings and a sports bra
Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies has criticized Nike’s decision to pay Mulvaney to promote its range of women’s sportswear
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.’
Davies argued that it was 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 Alison got pregnant, they cut her sponsorship by 70% 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.”
Los Angeles-based social media star and transgender rights activist Mulvaney has a large online profile following his work as a comedian and Broadway actor on the hit show The Book of Mormon.
Last October, she interviewed President Joe Biden about the Democrat’s commitment to protecting transgender rights.
And she’s gained a huge following on TikTok as she documented her transition into “girlhood,” with her video series racking up a billion views.
In it, she dressed up as a doll and discussed her thoughts on finding love, starting a family and being a mother.
In January of this year, Mulvaney recorded that she underwent grueling “facial feminization” surgery, in which facial bones were cut off and abraded to give a softer, more feminine look.
And in March, despite not having sex reassignment surgery yet, she announced to her followers that she was a girl.
Mulvaney showed up in a pair of black form-fitting leggings and a white sports bra, and was seen doing eye-catching yoga poses in a sunny backyard
After her 365th day of “authentic living,” U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris wrote her an anniversary letter congratulating her.
In her latest Nike posts on Instagram, Mulvaney appeared sporting a sports bra and a pair of black form-fitting leggings and a white sports bra and was seen doing eye-catching yoga poses in a sunny backyard.
She then danced barefoot around her yard while working out while an upbeat song played.
But many took to social media to express their outrage that Mulvaney had gotten the sponsorship and not a biological woman.
One wrote, “I always loved @Nike as a brand, but I will never wear another shoe from them again after Dylan Mulvaney becomes their new womenswear ambassador.”
Meanwhile, Caitlyn Jenner accused the brand of “wiping out women.”
Davies argued that it was not possible for a biological man to effectively advertise products, such as bras, that have to work for women’s bodies.
Social media star and transgender rights activist Mulvaney, who lives in Los Angeles, has a large online profile
However, some praised her ads, writing, “How can someone be so majestic and gorgeous?”
It remains unclear how much money Mulvaney was paid for the posts, but some social media insiders suggest she could get around £40,000 ($50,000) per post.
Mulvaney was previously criticized for carrying Tampax after the company sent her a PR package, with some pointing out she didn’t need it.
But she countered the attack, saying, “I sometimes carry one in case someone needs it.”
It is also not the first time that Nike has used a trans star in their marketing.
In 2021, they launched their ‘Play New’ campaign featuring Mara Gomez, the first trans woman to play in Argentina’s professional football league.
Dan Wootton Tonight airs Monday through Thursday at 9 p.m. on GB News.