NIKE told customers to “be kind, be inclusive” in response to the brewing backlash over the company selecting transgender Dylan Mulvaney as brand ambassador to sell women’s attire.
In a pinned comment to one of NIKE’s Instagram posts, the company responded to the barrage of people announcing they would be abandoning the brand for good.
“You are an essential component to the success of your community! We welcome comments that contribute to a positive and constructive discussion: Be kind. Be inclusive. Encourage each other. Hate speech, bullying, or other behaviors that are not in the spirit of a diverse and inclusive community will be deleted,” NIKE said.
As Breitbart News reported this week, NIKE Women selected Dylan Mulvaney to sell women’s sports bras and leggings despite being a man.
“Home for a moment and leaning into cozy workout wear life with @nikewomen ‘s newest Zenvy leggings and Alate bra! They’re so comfortable and buttery soft, perfect for workouts and everyday wear! #feelyourall #teamnike #nikepartner,” Mulvaney said when announcing the new deal on Instagram.
Meet NIKE WOMEN’S Newest Ambassador…a biological man.
Dylan Mulvaney is now being paid Ὃby Nike Women to promote sports bras- even though he’s a man!
Another day, another company slapping all women in the face by mocking them and paying a man to take their place! #nike… pic.twitter.com/XK33HJYo63
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 5, 2023
Customers responded by vowing to boycott the sports apparel giant and said the selection of Dylan Mulvaney contributes to the erasure of women.
Nike History of Mistreating Women ⬇️
6x USA Outdoor Track Champion Alysia Montaño, a former Nike ambassador had her pay cut after falling pregnant with her child.
Olympic Champion Kara Goucher was forced to run a race just 3 months after giving birth, after being threatened… pic.twitter.com/KFTw3dFlNc
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 7, 2023
Dylan Mulvaney is creating a caricature of what it means to be a woman. Women do not behave like this. This is insulting to actual women. I wouldn’t give Nike a dime of my money. pic.twitter.com/WkrN07WvDZ
— Jedediah Bila (@JedediahBila) April 6, 2023
Who knew @Nike hated real women so much? pic.twitter.com/GslcLPmqcs
— Malcolm Clark (@TwisterFilm) April 5, 2023
Women, buy Nike products and you too can look like Dylan https://t.co/uKRTmkXXiV
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) April 6, 2023
Can someone explain 1) Why so many corporations are suddenly using/paying Dylan Mulvaney to promote their products, 2) Why @nike thinks women would want to buy clothing made for women but modeled on a male body? https://t.co/He5s3IWbQZ
— Meghan Murphy (@MeghanEMurphy) April 6, 2023
Female athletes are also weighing in on the situation.
“It’s so frustrating. We take two steps forward with World Athletics and Swim England protecting women’s sport and then Nike does this,” Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies 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’ve got someone behaving in a way that’s very unsporty and very unathletic. And it’s so frustrating when only 1% of the USA sponsorship dollar goes to females in sport. That Nike would do this feels like a kick in the teeth,” she added.
Davies noted that Mulvaney has “nothing to put in the sports bra” that NIKE selected him to advertise, even though women actually need a proper sports bra for support.
“For a long time, Nike sponsored Allyson Felix, one of the world’s most incredible track athletes. Then, when Allyson got pregnant, they reduced her sponsorship by 70% when she had something happen to her that happens only to women. Women are being treated with total disdain at the moment, particularly in the world of sport where physiology makes so much difference,” said Davies.
Caitlyn Jenner, who has strongly criticized the inclusion of men in women’s sports, sounded off on Twitter over the NIKE partnership.
“As someone that grew up in awe of what Phil Knight did, it is a shame to see such an iconic American company go so woke! We can be inclusive but not at the expense of the mass majority of people, and have some decency while being inclusive. This is an outrage,” Jenner tweeted.
“Equality > inclusivity (stop trying to erase women). Why is it so black and white with the radical rainbow mafia?!” Jenner added.