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A recent Ikea ad airing in Thailand has been described as
"negative" and "stereotypical" by local transgender activists.
Entitled “Luem Aeb,” or “Forgot to Keep Hidden”, the ad features a
middle-aged man and his partner, whose voice drops to a more
masculine tone when she sees the store's sale items. The partner
starts carrying heavy boxes and the man runs away.
The Thai Transgender Alliance has voiced anger at how the ad, which
has been broadcast on Bangkok's transit system, portrays
transgender people.
"The transgender content of the advertisement is negative and
stereotypical in nature,'" wrote the Thai Transgender Alliance in
an open letter to the Swedish retailer.
In response, IKEA Group spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson told the Wall
Street Journal, “we want everyone to feel welcome to our stores and
we apologize if it [the ad] is seen as negative.”
Ikea's global expansion has faced criticism in the past, most
notably for deleting images of women from the Saudi version of its
furniture catalogue, a move the company said it regrets.
Comparing the Swedish and Saudi versions of the catalogue, free
newspaper Metro showed that women had been airbrushed out of
otherwise identical pictures showcasing the company's home
furnishings.
The report raised questions in Sweden about Ikea's commitment to
gender equality, and the company released a statement expressed
"regret" over the issue.