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Transgender Visibility


These five billboard advertisements have applied a theory of “Gift economy”, aiming the increase trans visibility in public, which communicates the freedom of sex options as the social norm. IKEA is the first company to promote a guy couple in the mainstream media since 1994 (IKEA 2021). They support everyone is equal regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, or sexuality (IKEA 2021). Even though IKEA has been passionate about promoting inclusion, the brand has not had a chance to promote trans people. According to The University of Melbourne (2022), many trans people are suffering social isolation and discrimination including family rejection, bullying in school, difficulty finding employment, and relentless street harassment and violence, which cause a crisis in transgender mental health. Therefore, IKEA has a protentional to express “transgender visibility” to reduce social isolation, discrimination, harassment, and violence against for trans people.

Reference

IKEA (2021) IKEA U.S. launches Pride campaign to push for greater progress toward LGBTQ+ inclusion, IKEA website, accessed 30 September 2022.

The University Of Melbourne (16 May 2022) ‘Transgender mental health in crisis, but support groups desperately underfunded’, The University Of Melbourne, accessed 27 September 2022.



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