Phone Company 3 Appologises After Transphobic Advert

Three Ireland is currently receiving a large amount of criticism following the release of a billboard add that many people are condemning as being transphobic.

As part of their mobile data campaign the company released a billboard advertisement featuring the phrase, 'Sorry Vodafone customers, it turned out he was a she after you'd used all your data'.

Despite a number of public complaints on the social network Twitter, Three insist that it was never their intention to offend anyone.

The company has stated that 'It's part of a wider campaign that gives examples of when you can often miss the best bits of TV/films when you're streaming because you've used all your data.  Another example in the campaign is 'Sorry Vodafone customers, Ireland scored the winning try after you'd used all your data'.  Again, we're sorry for any offence caused and hope this explains the concept and that no offence was intended at all.'

Despite the outrage from many people who found the advert offencive, a number of people came to the companies defence, claiming that their intentions were clearly not to mock trans people and that the transgender community should not have 'caused a fuss over nothing'.

Intentions not withstanding, the advert is offencive.  It doesn't matter what they were trying to do, they were using the transgender community, an incredibly marginalised and oppressed community, to further their own ends.  It might not be offencive to everyone, but surely those people who do not find it offencive can understand why it can be found to be in poor taste?

And to those who are still finding this kind of thing acceptable, and even attack the trans community and their allies when they find this kind of thing offencive, congratulations on never having to deal with oppression in your lives, now kindly shut up and respect our god damned opinions on what is and isn't offencive to our community.

Amy.
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