L'Oreal's transgender model calls 'all white people' racist, gets fired
A recent Facebook post by French cosmetics giant L'Oreal's first transgender model led to her getting fired. In Munroe's post, she wrote: "Honestly I don't have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people." L'Oreal said it was a champion of diversity, and Munroe Bergdorf's comments were at odds with their values.
A couple of days back, L'Oréal Paris made headlines by being the first cosmetic company to hire a transgender model for its beauty campaign in the UK. London-based DJ/model Munroe Bergdorf was to feature in L'Oreal advertisements. She was named one of the five new faces signifying the "5 new shades of foundation for the line, which is said to match 98% of UK skin tones".
She took to Instagram to thank L'Oreal "So I'm the first transgender woman to feature in a L'Oréal UK campaign… I got to say the famous lines! SO gassed! Thank you to all who support me and to all my sisters who have come before me… #AllWorthIt #YoursTruly"."
Munroe transitioned into a transgender 5 years ago, when she was 25. Prior to that, she came out as gay when 15 and before that had lived as a woman. Before L'Oreal, she has worked with Illamasqua, Calvin Klein, and Boy London. Being a true spokesperson for transgender rights, she said that it was finally time that makeup brands started focusing on colored transgenders.
Munroe Bergdorf lashed out against L'Oreal saying that her post about "white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville" was taken out of context. She said L'Oreal didn't want her to speak about "systemic racism". Disappointed with the company, she called out the irony that L'Oreal "stands for diversity" and then fires her for speaking about white privilege; she asked people to boycott the brand.
