The ex-president of the fashion brand Levi’s and professional athlete, Jennifer Sey, recently launched a new anti-trans clothing brand known as XX-XY Athletics. The brand is reportedly dedicated to “protecting women’s sports.”
The brand advertises itself on its newly launched website as promoting women’s sports, going into the subject of transgender inclusion by saying that “men and women are different. It’s just a fact.” The site goes on to suggest that those born with XY chromosomes have an innate, biological advantage in sports – something without academic consensus – before continuing “it is simply unfair and dangerous at times, to allow males (XY) to compete in girls and women’s (XX chromosomes) sports.”
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They conclude by saying “we’ll be here defending truth. And women and girls. Until that happens.”
Multiple anti-trans figures have been made ambassadors of the brand, including college swimmers Riley Gaines and Paula Scanlan, as well as detransitioner Chloe Cole.
Sey has made headlines for her controversial opinions in the past. She has supported gender-critical views on the validity of transgender people, as well as promoting the view that schools should stay open during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sey’s new line vastly differs from Levi’s approach to the LGBTQ+ community, which has consistently been respectful for decades. Levi’s was the first major U.S. company to provide domestic partner benefits; it has made donations to the HRC, OutRight Action International, and other queer-allied organizations to help support LGBTQ+ communities; and has publicly opposed anti-LGBTQ+ actions taken by the administration of President Donald Trump.
XX-XY Athletics launched with the assistance of an article in Forbes which presented a very sympathetic portrait of the company as a defender of women’s sports. The article used language and phrasing seen most commonly from those critical of transgender people, such as referring to transgender women as “biological males.”
“I looked around at all the athletic brands in the marketplace and they make much ado about celebrating women, but not one has said ‘We need to protect women’s sports,’” Sey said to Forbes.
“Not a single brand is doing it. We are going to make world-class, best-in-class athletic apparel for women and men. And we’re staking a claim around protecting women’s sports. We believe it will resonate with men as well who are invested in protecting their daughters,” she further detailed.
In the article, Sey further detailed how she believes that it is the responsibility of brands to meet the public on modern cultural issues.
Critics of Sey’s viewpoint note out that sexism and poor funding harm women’s sports and discourage female athleticism far more than trans competitors.
The Mary Sue published an article critical of the clothing brand, criticizing much of the offered apparel for a lack of inclusivity for various different body types in addition to the views expressed on the website and by the founder.
Levi’s has not responded to a request for comment from LGBTQ Nation. This article will be updated if they do respond.
