Lingerie brand responds to backlash after using non-binary model in advert

A lingerie brand has been forced to respond to horrendous backlash after it featured a non-binary model in its advertising.

Luxe lingerie brand Honey Birdette defended its decision to share an image of burlesque performer and model Jake Dupree wearing its products online.

The photo was shared on the company’s Instagram page and showed Dupree wearing the brand’s Ruby three-piece lingerie set.

However, soon the comments section was littered with hateful comments and right-wing commentators were sharing their opinions on Twitter. The post has now restricted commenting.

According to Hypebae, comments on the post discussed “what a ‘real’ woman is” and drew some controversial opinions. Right-wing commentator, Rita Panahi wrote on Twitter, that the brand was a #fail.

In response to the backlash, Honey Birdette edited the caption on the post defending its decision to include Dupree and reiterating its zero-tolerance stance on hate speech and bullying.

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Honey Birdette wrote on Instagram: “UPDATE: Honey Birdette fosters an inclusive and diverse environment, and we will continue to use our voice to empower and support the LGBTQ+ community, women, and anyone who wants to feel fabulous in our lingerie.

“While thoughtful and constructive discussions are important to push culture forward, hate speech and bullying will not be tolerated on our channels.

“Comments of this negative nature will be deleted. @jakedupree, you are so talented and have our full support! ”

The post has been liked almost 17,000 times.

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