"Did no one learn from the Dylan Mulvaney experience?": Bonds Australia faces boycott over non-binary underwear model

Recently, popular underwear, sleepwear, and clothing brand Bonds Australia came under fire after it launched a limited-edition campaign of gender-neutral underwear featuring several models, including a non-binary person.

As per Indy 100, Bonds’ move is backed by the Pride movement and was intended to mark diversity and represent the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia.

However, the inclusion of non-binary model Mikey, who is a biological male, sporting a beard and long hair, as one of the faces of Bonds’ latest campaign is now sparking mass outrage online.

In this regard, an X user with the handle @MarieIsabellaB commented under @EndWokeness’ tweet. The netizen slammed Bonds for not learning anything from the Dylan Mulvaney fiasco, where the trans-TikTok influencer was the face of beer brand Bud Light and faced severe boycott for its alleged “wokeness.”

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“Imagine HATING your customers”: Internet calls out Bonds Australia for featuring a queer model for their latest underwear campaign

According to Indy 100, Mikey, the non-binary model on Bonds Australia’s Pride 2024 gender-fluid campaign uses they/them pronouns. He was seen posing alongside another non-binary model Clementine, both in two-piece undergarments, which has now triggered a boycott for the brand.

As per News Hub, Mikey was wearing the Retro Rib Seamless Tonal Hi Bikini which as per the website is priced at Australian $18.99 and is described as follows:

"Times are changing and so is our underwear. Made for fierce women everywhere, our Retro Rib Seamless Hi Bikini is part of our Retro Rib Seamless range that gives you the confidence to roar."

In the wake of this, the official Bonds Australia website has been receiving one-star reviews for its alleged wokeness, with many claiming that featuring a biological male to endorse women’s lingerie was insulting to the female community.

Meanwhile, social media users called for the boycott of Bonds and began using the “go woke, go broke” rhetoric. Here are some of the criticisms from @EndWokeness' post on X.

In the face of backlash, Bonds Australia has issued more than one statement in their defense, as per News Hub.

"We're sorry to hear you're offended by our campaign; this was certainly not our intent. Bonds is a brand with a proud heritage of reflecting and representing all Australians. Our Pride campaign is a celebration of the joy and spirit of Australia's diverse LGBTQIA+ community," the response read.

It further added how the latest limited-edition underwear range of “comfy Bonds basics” was meant to celebrate the spirit and joy associated with the Pride community and events across Australia.

The brand mentioned that its goal was “promoting inclusivity” and “reimagining and reflecting” on modern-day Australian society with “beautiful rainbow people”.

The company also slapped back at its critics and said the negative comments were reminders as to why Pride marches, such as during Madi Gras, were important and the country still had a long way to go.

Apart from Mikey and Clementine, Bonds Australia’s latest campaign also featured other queer models including drag artist Stone (uses she/they pronouns), bisexual single father Josh, trans woman Kye (uses she/they pronouns), and nurse Rahni, as reported by News Hub.

Notably, this is not the first time the brand has endorsed inclusivity and shown support for the Pride community. Earlier, it collaborated with Minus18, an Australia-based nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQIA+ youth and aims to empower them via free workshops, educational resources, and access to safe spaces.

In 2023, the brand also collaborated with trans activist Deni Todorovic (identifies by they/them) as the model of its “Proud to Be Me” range for World Pride Day.

However, when Bonds and Deni both faced threats, he was dropped from the campaign. The first time Bonds used non-binary models was in 2019 when it partnered with trans model Andreja Pejic.