Riley Gaines – a former NCAA swimmer who is now an activist for women’s equality in sports – and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) were among the people who complained on Wednesday about the model promoting a woman’s Adidas bathing suit as part of Adidas’ pride collection.
Adidas and South African designer Rich Mnisi collaborated to launch the “Let Love Be Your Legacy” campaign. With its collaboration with Mnisi, the company aims to “encourage freedom of expression and allies without bias in all spaces of sports and culture”.
Mnisi stated in an Adidas press release that “I had a strong urge to express my inner child and show the world how LGBTQ+ allies can create a lasting legacy of love.” “Unifying my visual language with Adidas’ iconic lifestyle and performance pieces is a powerful combo, making the collection an icon for self-acceptance. I hope this collection inspires LGBTQ+ supporters to speak out more for queer people that they love, and not allow them to fight for acceptance on their own.
Social media reacted Wednesday to a model who was featured on the Adidas site in a woman’s bathing costume.
Gaines, among others, reacted.
I dont understand why companies are voluntarily doing this to themselves. They could have at least said the suit is “unisex”, but they didn’t because its about erasing women. Ever wondered why we hardly see this go the other way?
Women’s swimsuits arent accessorized with a bulge https://t.co/ysHK8e5H9l
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) May 17, 2023
I’m running out of brands to wear…😖
— Lucy Riles (@LucyRiles) May 17, 2023
I’m old enough to remember when women actually modeled women’s bathing suits, not men. 🙃 https://t.co/kOvXvmDzHt
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 17, 2023
Don’t worry, when the cabal collapses and they lose all their money, ESG will cease to exist. Once that’s gone, these woke companies will revert back to normal and market to their actual base. Wokeness is only backed by money, it’s not organic. https://t.co/2r2awb27yP
— McKaylaRose (@McKaylaRoseRed) May 17, 2023
I am once again asking to be a jock strap model. @Nike and @adidas can fight over me 💀💀💀 https://t.co/Cx6LpzNGRT
— Hayley Caronia (@hayleycaronia) May 17, 2023
Adidas announced in a news release that it had partnered with Athlete Ally “which is focused on ending homophobia, transphobia and racism in sport.”
“Together, Adidas and Athlete Ally’s goal is to drive inclusiveness in sport – supporting student-athletes who identify as LGBTQI+ to push for safe participation and fair access in sport. Hudson Taylor, founder of Athlete Ally, said that through their partnership they have created more affirming spaces for the LGBTQI+ community to celebrate.
