It’s a victory, of sorts: Long known for its sexually suggestive ads and billboards, American Apparel has added trans model Isis King (above) to a current Pride month campaign spotlighting its line of equality tees.
King, a former America’s Next Top Model contestant, is the first trans person the hipster retail outlet has featured in its ads, which sometimes border on jailbait porn. (Hey, so long as everyone’s legal we ain’t complaining.)
In addition, 15% of proceeds will benefit GLAAD and AA employees will march in Pride events around the country.
“We’re super-proud to support LGBT Pride again this year and partner with GLAAD in these events,” AA creative director Marsha Brady. “It’s time for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, to accept each other and thrive in harmony. We hope everyone comes out and joins us.”
Really? Her name is Marsha Brady? Wow, her parents were assholes.
QJ201
No disrespect to Ms. King…but using a transgender model to promote “gay pride” is confusing to heterosexuals who can’t separate gay from gender identity.
Many trans people also consider themselves “heterosexual” and don’t consider themselves part of the gay community.
Should have used some hot femme lesbian instead…there are plenty out there who are also working models.
Jess
Get your head out of your ass QJ201. You don’t own pride OK.. It’s not GAY pride. It’s Pride period. Which includes ALL lgbT members. Strange how the most transphobic dickheads are ones from our own “Community”. Way to go American Apparel!! More trans models please.
pedro
What’s so slutty about these clothes…?
WTF
Slutty?
Mmmmmm ok.
So no mention of “slutty” on half naked pictures of men Queerty posts, but THIS is slutty?
Idiots.
WTF
I’m not in favor of “us” fighting the trans fight. They’re separate issues IMO. But, by definition, in this case Gay Pride includes LGBT.
Cam
@QJ201: said…
“No disrespect to Ms. King…but using a transgender model to promote “gay pride” is confusing to heterosexuals who can’t separate gay from gender identity.”
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No, Isis is a model who is paid to wear clothing for a photo. In the ads it doesn’t say “This model is Transgendered”. It’s just an ad with a pretty model wearing a pro gay shirt. Stop over-thinking.
Belize
No transphobic comments from Jason and JayKay yet? What’s the matter? Electricity in hick town is just as scarce as proudly out LGBT? 🙂
Belize
These outfits = slutty… two decades ago. You remember those times right? With LGBTs being judged left and right for such mundane things. Glad to know some people are willing to relive the spirit of such “glorious days.”
jason
American Apparel is a creepy organization. We in the gay community need to tell American Apparel and its owner to fuck off. Let’s not have anything to do with it.
American Apparel is basically a purveyor of soft porn-like images designed to prop up the sleazy straight guy fantasy. I don’t consider it to be a gay-friendly organization in the slightest.
jason
QJ201,
The last thing we need is some “hot femme lesbian”. These women are just as bad as male-to-female transgenders. They sully our cause and reduce women to objects for sleazy straight guys.
Anything that appeals to sleazy straight guys is, by definition, anti-gay. Transgenders and “hot femme lesbians” are anti-gay.
Gabriel
@WTF: Love this comment. No double standards, people!
Gabriel
@jason: What’s wrong with you people? Start building bridges instead of being a clicky group fighting for ‘equality.’
Ragmatical
@jason: As a ‘hot femme lesbian’, screw you. Pride isn’t just for gay men, it’s about being PROUD of who you are. Your ignorance is astounding.
George
@ jason
I hate to be in the long line of people against you, but…. Your second comment is really bothering me.
“The last thing we need is some “hot femme lesbian”. These women are just as bad as male-to-female transgenders. They sully our cause and reduce women to objects for sleazy straight guys.”
– So? Having a “hot femme lesbian” would be showing both pride and the fact that there aren’t just butch lesbians. Being a lesbian or a transwoman does not “sully our cause and reduce women to objects” because 1) they are just trying to be themselves, and as long as they do not make a move to oppress you, they are not doing anything wrong, and 2) They do not make women “objects”, nor are they are who they are for “sleazy straight guys”
“Anything that appeals to sleazy straight guys is, by definition, anti-gay. Transgenders and “hot femme lesbians” are anti-gay.”
– Does anything that appeals to ‘sleazy’ straight girls, by definition, anti gay?- I mean, I know plenty of straight girls that make comments about how “hot gay guys are” all the time, even my bisexual friends make those comments. Does that make them anti-gay? No. It just means that the concept appeals to them.
Lieselotte
@Jason: First, “transgenders” is a stupid word to use.
Second, as a male-to-female trans person myself, are you saying that I’m “anti-gay” simply for being that? And that I’m somehow a bad person because somebody out there might make me their fetish?
@WTF: I hate the idea of “not fighting their fight”. I fight for gay and lesbian causes every chance I get. I also fight for racial equality in any way that I can, even though I’m white and don’t need to fight that fight. We should be fighting for all equality, not just the little portion that would make our own personal lives better.
Cyndi Brady
I would rather have been named a version of “Cindy” than Marsha, but that’s beside the point.
Isis rocks! At a time when any of us who call ourselves L, G, B, T, or Q face ever-present discrimination, hate, and threats, I think we’re better off together than apart.
Special msg 2 Jason: that poor sad git, do get some help for yr delusions. Wank not, want not.
Monique
LGBT is a false and deceitful concept. The vast majority of gay people are not transgender and the vast majority of transgender people are not gay. To tell the world that these groups are one is to promote archaic stereotypes that the gay movement fought against for decades. LGBT is objectively a homophobic concept.
Makenna
@jason: Hey guess what, asshole? I’m a “femme” dyke who’s currently dating someone who happens to be a male-to-female trans person. No one on earth has fought harder for the LGBT/Queer cause than I have.
DId you even THINK before you typed such asinine bullshit? So let me get this straight: because I’m a dyke, according to you, I’m supposed to be super butched out, or I’m betraying my community? Honestly, are you stupid? I’ll be MYSELF, thanks very much. I’ve fought way too hard to be myself for too long.
And who the fuck made you the authority? Oh, that’s right, NO ONE.
If you’re going to spew off idiotic, hateful garbage, perhaps the NOM website would be a more appropriate place for you.
And for all of the rest of you trying to exclude the trans community: SHAME ON YOU. You’re no better than the straight homophobic bigots. And I suggest you start educating yourself. Julia Serano is a great author to start with.
Makenna
@Monique: Hence why it’s “LGBTQ”… the understanding, if you’re not a MORON, is that these identities are not the same, but part of the same community.
Also, don’t be an asshat.
jason
“Hot femme lesbians” are inevitably linked to sleazy straight guys who have a fetish for girl-girl action. We don’t need these sorts in our community. These women are more in tune with the needs of third party straight males in a relationship that borders on prostitution.
Keep in mind that many of these straight guys don’t like us gay men at all. They think we’re gross. These “hot femme lesbians” basically enable these men’s homophobia towards us.
Lyss
@QJ201:
I dont know if you noticed but the T in LGBTQ stands for Trans. Ya they count.
sheena
@QJ201: you are just ignorant baby
Rooney
@jason: You were doing so well with your first comment, and then your split personality had to come out and start hating on women. Well trolled, as always, you sick puppy! Keep it up, you might yet get banned.
Rooney
@Monique: Okay, babe, take your pills. Who the hell are you, Jason’s mom?
Cam
@Monique: said…
“LGBT is a false and deceitful concept. The vast majority of gay people are not transgender and the vast majority of transgender people are not gay. To tell the world that these groups are one is to promote archaic stereotypes that the gay movement fought against for decades. LGBT is objectively a homophobic concept.”
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No, actually you’re an idiot. Are blacks and Jews the same? no, did they both engage in the civil rights fight? Yes, are blacks and Jews the same as Latinos? no, did they all engage in the fight for civil rights? yes. Are women, blacks, Jews, and Latino the exact same group? No.
The issue is, they had the common interest of civil rights. Sorry you couldn’t figure that out.
JayKay
@Cam:
False comparison.
Blacks, jews, latinos, they all have something in common. They’re all racial minorities.
Gays, bisexuals, and lesbians all have something in common too. They’re all minorities based on sexual orientation. Transgendereds are not.
The gender war being fought by trans activists is not the same thing as the gay rights movement, and gays don’t benefit in any way from allying themselves with trans activists.
Kevin
@Lyss: I get your point, but I always found their inclusion odd too because most of the trans people I’ve known say they’re straight (as in heterosexual). I don’t get it.
Monique
@Cam: Thanks for proving my point. Blacks, Jews and Latinos may have common cause on some issues, but there is no such thing as a “BJL community” and no one in his right mind would suggest that African-Americans, Jewish Americans and Latinos are all one “people” simply because they may ally on certain issues. And if anyone suggested that Blacks shouldn’t pursue a civil rights goal because it didn’t come bundled with some other goal sought by Jewish Americans, they’d be laughed out of the room.
So let’s drive a stake through the nonsensical concept of “LGBT” and the argument that we can’t pass ENDA or other legislation unless it is “inclusive” of transvestites.
stung6191
I dunno, I’m a straight girl with plenty of Gay Pride, why the need to label EVERYTHING?