This deodorant commercial is an important look into the daily struggles of gender-fluid people
The internet is praising a deodorant company for highlighting the experiences of trans and gender-fluid people in their latest ad.
Secret Deodorant’s #StressTest campaign features various women in everyday stressful situations. For some, that means asking for a raise or sending a life-changing text message.
For trans and genderqueer women, the most stressful part of their day could be using a public restroom.
The ad stars Dana, played by gender-fluid artist Karis Wilde.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjg-ZSk31rw
Dana stands and waits in a bathroom stall while a group of young women chat by the mirror, and Dana appears stressed about whether or not she should let them see her. In the end, Dana musters up the courage and steps out of the stall.
“Dana finds the courage to show there’s no wrong way to be a woman,” the ad says.
In an interview about her role, Wilde told Queerty:
I always have moments of insecurity but I have conditioned myself to act unbothered. While shooting, I allowed myself to feel vulnerable. It terrified me how much I’ve stored all those emotions; I almost cried in the middle of taping.
Consumers are applauding Secret for using their ad to highlight such an important issue, and so are we!
There is always something to critique but I'm super into this ad. We need more representation of all self-identifying womyn. #Stresstest https://t.co/alkg5df5py
— Lianna Pisani (@liannapisani) October 28, 2016
Thank you @SecretDeodorant ad of a #Trans person trying to navigate their way through a public restroom #StressTest https://t.co/BA6DBuEtUx
— Laureen (@laureenm01) October 27, 2016
I've enjoyed this Secret #StressTest series of commercials so far but this one really hit my feels. So powerful! Way to go @SecretDeodorant! https://t.co/DMELSsMsbi
— Andy Duran (@EducatorAndy) October 27, 2016
Way to go, Secret.