Nike tells furious customers ‘Be kind, be inclusive’ as it responds to backlash over paying trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote sports bras – as customers pledge to boycott the brand

• Mulvaney posed for a series of pictures and videos promoting bras and leggings 
• Nike issued first social media response to criticism, telling people to ‘Be Kind’ 

Nike today doubled down on using a transgender influencer to promote its female clothes, telling customers calling for a boycott to ‘be kind and inclusive’.

The firm’s tone-deaf response came amid women’s concerns over Dylan Mulvaney, who identifies as female but has not had reassignment surgery.

Mulvaney – who uses the pronouns she or they – was seen in paid social media content dancing in a Nike sports bra and leggings.

It sparked furious calls for a boycott, with Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies is leading calls and customers deluging the company with complaints.

Today Nike issued its first response online, declaring it would delete comments it did not judge to be in a spirit of diversity or inclusivity.

It insisted: ‘You are an essential component to the success of your community.

This was the response from Nike after customers said they would boycott it over the promotion

‘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.’ 

It is not the first time that Nike has partnered with a trans star in their marketing, in 2021, they launched their ‘Play New’ campaign with Mara Gomez, who plays in Argentina’s professional football league.

The controversy could impact sales, which had received a huge boost in recent months from stars like Lioness Chloe Kelly being seen wearing their products.

She famously whipped off her shirt to celebrate scoring in England’s World Cup win, revealing her sports bra with the famous black tick logo. 

Lioness Chloe Kelly was celebrating in her England Nike sports bra during their World Cup win

Ms Davies, who won silver for Team GB in the 400m individual medley at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, said the move was a ‘step’ back after several sports bodies moved 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 protecting 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’ve got someone behaving in a way that’s very un-sporty and very unathletic and it’s so frustrating when only 1 per cent of USA sponsorship dollar goes to females in sport.

That Nike would do this feels like a kick in the teeth.’

In a series of posts on Tuesday, Dylan Mulvaney shared video and images wearing Nike leggings and a sports bra

Advocating a boycott, she said: ‘We can protest. It’s what is left for us at the moment. No one seems to be listening.

How Nike was abandoned by several Olympians over its treatment of women before Mulvaney deal

‘The only way we can make these companies and governments sit up and listen is to boycott with our wallet.

‘It’s the only thing they listen to.’ 

Ms Davies argued it was not possible for a biological male to effectively promote products, such as bras, which have to work for women’s bodies. 

She replied: ‘Dylan is advertising sports bras when there’s nothing to put in the sports bra – when actually it’s really important women get proper support when they do sport. It just doesn’t make sense.

‘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 per cent 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.’ 

One Mumsnetter user wrote: ‘What are they trying to communicate to me, their target audience? 

Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies has criticised Nike’s decision to partner with Dylan Mulvaney to promote its female sports clothing range

‘That their new sports bras are too wide in the back and have no extra space and good support for my breasts?

‘I would have thought a fair bit of biological reality goes into designing sports clothing for men and women, to ensure maximum comfort and optimum performance. I feel… mocked. Is this what Nike thinks women are?’

Beer lovers in Travis Tritt’s hometown are ‘switching to Coors Light’ after country star slammed Bud Light for its Dylan Mulvaney ad campaign – as a bar in Kid Rock’s native Nashville plans to REMOVE it from sale 

Beer lovers in the hometown of Country star Travis Tritt have started switching away from their usual favorite Bud Light, after the Grammy award winner slammed the brand for its campaign with trans star Dylan Mulvaney.

Locals in Marietta, Georgia, have been switching from their usual drink of Bud Light to Coors Light, according to bartenders – who say the impact was ‘immediate’.

Tritt, 60, announced that he would be removing any beverage made by Anheuser-Busch from his tour bus after finding out that they worked with the transgender influencer.

Singer Kid Rock, 52, also showed his disdain by shooting several cases of the beer, saying ‘F*** Bud Light, and f*** Anheuser-Busch. Have a terrific day.’

It comes as fellow country singer John Rich became the latest celebrity to hit out at the brand, asking which beer he should use to replace Bud Light at his Nashville bar, Redneck Riviera.

UB40 singer Matt Hoy shared one of the videos of Mulvaney on Twitter, writing: ‘Respect real women. Stop mocking real women.’ 

Social media star and transgender rights activist Ms Mulvaney, who lives in Los Angeles, has a large online profile after working as a comedian and Broadway actor, appearing in hit show The Book of Mormon.

Last October, the influencer interviewed President Joe Biden on the Democrats’ commitment to protect the rights of trans people.

And the entertainer has gained a massive following on TikTok while documenting the transition into ‘girlhood’, with a video series attracting one billion views.

In it Mulvaney has dressed up as a doll and discussed thoughts on finding love, having a family and being a mother.

In January this year, Mulvaney recorded gruelling ‘facial feminisation’ surgery, which saw facial bones sliced off and sanded down to give a softer, more womanly appearance.

And in March 2021 Mulvaney she announced to her followers that she was a girl, although has not yet had gender reassignment surgery.

After the internet star’s 365th day of ‘living authentically’, US Vice President Kamala Harris wrote an anniversary letter to congratulate the milestone.

In the latest Nike posts on Instagram, Ms Mulvaney appeared wearing a pair of black leggings and a white sports bra to strike yoga poses in a sunny backyard.

The video then showed the star dancing around in a yard barefoot doing workouts while an upbeat song played.

Some people on social media expressed their anger at Nike’s decision to partner with Ms Mulvaney. 

One wrote: ‘I really used to enjoy Nike as a brand but I will never wear another shoe from them after they feature Dylan Mulvaney as their new ambassador for women’s clothing.’

Meanwhile, Caitlyn Jenner accused the brand of ‘erasing women’.

But others praised her adverts, writing: ‘How can someone be this majestic and gorgeous?’ 

Mac cosmetics posted a photo of Mulvaney to its Instagram page to celebrate Pride in 2022

It is unclear how much Ms Mulvaney was paid for the posts, but some social media insiders suggest it could be roughly £40,000 ($50,000) per post.

Ms Mulvaney was previously criticised for carrying around Tampax after the company sent out a PR package.

Mulvaney responded by saying: ‘I just sometimes carry one in case anybody needs it.’

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