The Hershey Company is facing mixed reviews and Twitter boycotts after the release of their Women’s History Month campaign that included Fae Johnstone, a transgender woman, on a candy bar wrapper. The advertisement aired in Canada on March 1st announced the limited edition Hershey’s SHE Bars. Five spokeswomen are featured on the wrappers to promote, support, and inspire women. 

While some have praised Hershey for their inclusivity and equal representation, many believe that their message is contradictory because Johnstone is a biological male. Conservative critics believe that the ad is promoting misogyny and disrespecting women by the inclusion of Johnstone. #hersheyboycott has been trending on Twitter since the ad was released.

Dear @Hersheys . That is not a woman, that's a man. You have deeply offended all women by choosing men to represent us. You do not have a monopoly on chocolate and we know it. Instead of going "woke", how about you wake up!#HersheysHatesWomen #hersheyboycott pic.twitter.com/ProeZsNaQB

— Reggie Brown (@reggiobrown) March 3, 2023

However, Hershey’s stood by the ad saying, “We value togetherness and recognize the strength created by diversity” in a statement to CNN. Johnstone also stands by her inclusion in the ad and hopes it will inspire the younger generations to take a stand for trans rights.

https://twitter.com/kriscilicious/status/1631751057968861185?s=46&t=4qTreIAndd3gvr6N8t5Hag

The campaign is still public and the limited edition chocolate bars will be sold worldwide on March 8th, International Women’s Day.