The reason Adidas appeared to use biological men to model women’s Pride swimsuit
Luke Gentile
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Sportswear giant Adidas blew up social media Wednesday after launching its “Pride 2023” collection and using what appear to be biological men to model a swimsuit for its women’s swimwear line.
The move was bashed across social media by conservatives, who placed Adidas alongside Bud Light, Target, and Ford as agents of the woke Left.
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However, the $70 swimsuit at the center of the controversy is part of a line by Rich Mnisi intended to channel the spirit of allyship and encourage freedom of expression without bias, according to a press release from Adidas.
“Pride 2023; Let Love Be Your Legacy” is the name of the campaign behind the collection, and the wearers of its products, including the “Pride Swimsuit – Pink,” are emboldened to “lead with love and uphold inclusive values,” the release noted.
“The range is inspired by a love letter Mnisi wrote to his younger self, in which he declares Let Love Be Your Legacy – serving as his mission statement, but also a rallying cry for active allyship to empower and champion the LGBTQIA+ community,” the release read. “The apparel and footwear features Mnisi’s retro graphic print, a monochrome circular check design layered with hand drawn flowers, and abstract shapes in bright and punchy colours with the adidas three-stripe boldly accented in pink and red.”
Every garment in the collection is constructed, in part, from recycled material.
“In creating this collection, I had a strong impulse to speak to my inner-child and express to the world how LGBTQIA+ allyship can create a legacy of love. Unifying these themes together through my own visual language and adidas’ iconic performance and lifestyle pieces is a powerful combination – making the collection a symbol for self-acceptance and LGBTQIA+ advocacy,” Mnisi said. “My hope is this range inspires LGBTQIA+ allies to speak up more for the queer people they love and not let them fight for acceptance alone.”
Mnisi’s sentiment did not appear to be well received by those on the Right.
“Adidas wants to go broke,” one Twitter user commented.
College swimmer turned women’s activist Riley Gaines accused the German-based company of trying to erase women.
“I [don’t] understand why companies are voluntarily doing this to themselves,” Gaines tweeted. “They could have at least said the suit is ‘unisex’, but they didn’t because its about erasing women.”
“Ever wondered why we hardly see this go the other way? Women’s swimsuits arent accessorized with a bulge,” she added.
Gaines’s attitude was shared by women across social media.
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“Adidas now has MEN modeling swimwear and clothing in the WOMENS section,” according to one Twitter user.
“I’m tired of women being undermined.”