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Pantene Features Trans Child With Lesbian Moms in Heartwarming Ad

Pantene Ad

Pantene doubled down on its support for the trans community when transphobes tried to take over the conversation on Twitter.

At a time when transgender people are being used as scapegoats by conservatives in false arguments about women's sports and efforts to derail the Equality Act, which would provide federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people, the hair care company Pantene has released an ad with a heartwarming, affirming message that features a trans girl and her lesbian moms.

Our family motto is, "Everybody loves Everybody, no matter what path you follow," the trans girl, Sawyer, says in the two-minute ad that features her moms, Ashley and Ellie, beside her. "It means I can be who I am, no matter what."

In a Twitter post about the ad, Pantene officials wrote, "Hair is a large part of our identity. And for LGBTQ+ youth like Sawyer, who choose to express themselves, their style and their creativity through their hairstyle, it can help them feel seen."

"She has always been super gender creative, and hair has been a big part of her transition," Ashley says in the ad. "Once she told us that she identified as a girl, she immediately wanted to grow her hair out."

"I remember the first time she was out in the community wearing the clothing she wanted and her hair. And she kind of was herself," Ashley recalls. "That was the first day where I saw her."

Pantene's Twitter post about Sawyer and her moms was met with a lot of love and support and also hateful anti-trans vitriol. But the company doubled down on its support for the community.

In the ad, Sawyer offers advice for others.

"Just be yourself and don't let anybody tell you who you are," she says.

Watch the ad below.

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Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.