Calvin Klein is making history.
As per MSN, in celebrating Pride Month, the iconic brand has featured a “transqueer lesbian” in its nine-part video series tributing LGBTQ “rising stars.”
Here’s an alternative-lifestyle taste of “Proud in My Calvins”:
On Tuesday, Jari Jones — who, from the description, I assume is a man identifying as a woman who is sexually attracted to women — posted a viral video in reaction to seeing a NYC CK billboard featuring his likeness.
Self-described “social impact company” Upworthy called Jari the “first Black transqueer icon.”
More:
Calvin Klein has made history by including their first Black transqueer model as part of this year’s Pride campaign. Jari Jones, an actress, model, and activist, is one of the many members who has joined the brand for this campaign. In a now-viral video, the model can be seen celebrating the incredible moment she sees herself on a huge billboard with her friends. Her joy speaks volumes about the importance of inclusivity.
Here’s the video (Language Warning):
Jari captioned an Instagram photo with the following:
“There are these moments I heard about about that help you heal when the society has tried to beat you down, over and over again. There are these very real moments that I heard about that help you feel affirmed even when you don’t see yourself. I’ve been searching my whole life for those moments, I got tired of looking for those moments. So I decided to create them. Not for me but for the next dreamer, outcast, queer, trans, disabled, fat, beautiful black, piece of starlight waiting for their moment to shine. It has been such an honor and pleasure to sit in my most authentic self and present imagery of a body that far too often has been demonized, harassed, made to feel ugly and unworthy and even killed. … BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER!!”
As noted by The Daily Wire, Jari even posted an image spotlighting the haters — a photo of himself covered with messages of the Thumbs-Down variety:
“Learning today that though this ride will be such a blessing from the universe, god and the ancestors, there are things and people, miserable behind computer and phone screens that will try to suck out every ounce of joy I have left in my body,” he wrote.
“I’m practicing self-love every day, I’m practicing boundaries every day, I’m practicing balance every day to armor myself for this fight but I know it’s gonna be a tough road ahead but like my queer trans ancestors believed, the people and the community and the youth I’m doing all this for are worth the mental a– kicking!!!!!”
One thing seems clear: It’s a whole new world for CK.
In the 80’s, the brand offered us girl-next-door — and apparent avid reader — Brooke Shields:
But in heteronormativity’s heyday, that was childsplay. Fast-forward about a decade, and we got served a travesty — Trigger Warning…ladies and gentlemen, I give you a mucho macho moment in time. Say your final farewells to toxic masculinity, courtesy of one Marky Mark:
I’d say we’re a ways down the road now.
-ALEX
See 3 more pieces from me:
The Masters Golf Tournament Gets a Woke Work-Over: Sportswriter Demands the Racist Name Be Changed
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