Adidas launches new trans-inclusive swimwear – and is accused of ‘gaslighting women’

Sometimes, certain people have nothing better to do than spend their time arguing against the existence of trans people. How exhausting this must be. Their newest fight? Adidas’s new trans-inclusive swimwear line.

The new womens swimsuit, available in straight sizes and plus sizes, is part of the adidas x Rich Mnisi Pride Collection.

Adidas’s site describes the South African designer’s collection as “a celebration of self-expression, imagination and the unwavering belief that love unites, the collaboration explores fluidity, colour and patterns.”

So what’s the issue? The straight size swimsuit appears to be modelled by someone with a male body, leading some people to suspect that it is a trans model.

Former Olympic swimmer, and self-proclaimed women’s rights activist, Sharron Davies said the campaign was an “assault on being female”.

“Again a male gets paid to advertise a product that’s vastly aimed at women, who are a physically different shape,” Davies tweeted. “Adidas, if you want to design a swimsuit for trans women, right on. They have different needs. But stop gaslighting women.

“It’s more and more moving towards an absolute assault on being female and what that means to women who are having all their descriptive words and rights eroded.”

There have been hundreds of negative reviews left on Adidas’ site under the listing too, causing the swimsuit to have a 1.1 star reviewer rating.

“Please stop offending, biological women by having men wear women’s suits,” one anonymous reviewer wrote. “It’s fine for them to wear it but please we don’t need to see it. And you are promoting biological man beating biological women in sports, all in the name of trans. It’s extremely anti-feminist and offensive. I used to buy a ton of Adidas stuff, but I will not be any more. Stop being woke.”

“Why is this under the women’s section?! This is not an accurate representation of a women’s swimsuit! This is ridiculous,” another reviewer said.

Trans women are women too, and we for one love the inclusivity of Adidas’s new campaign.

Glamour UK has approached Adidas for comment.