Fury as Costa Coffee uses cartoon image of 'trans man' with mastectomy scars as customers threaten to boycott chain
1 August 2023, 12:46
Costa Coffee is facing backlash after using a cartoon image of a 'trans man' with mastectomy scars.
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Gender-critical campaigners hit out at the coffee chain for wrongly promoting transgender surgery.
It came after a picture of Costa's van was posted on Twitter, with the chain being accused of "glorifying irreversible surgery performed on healthy women".
Mastectomies can be carried out on trans men to remove breast tissue but there have been concerns raised that such images could encourage women to permanently change their bodies.
Costa said the image was a part of a wider mural created to celebrate diversity and inclusion.
Dear @CostaCoffee,
— James Esses (@JamesEsses) July 31, 2023
Could you kindly explain why you are glorifying irreversible surgery performed on healthy breasts of women for a mental health condition? pic.twitter.com/9NyFPYj9J3
The image sparked fury online, with some even calling for Costa to be boycotted altogether.
One person said: "Bye bye Costa coffee. No more money from me. Oh well."
Another person added: "Costa Coffee wanting to be remembered the wrong way. Ooof, such a poor judgment move..."
A third person said: "A new corporate low."
Maya Forstater, who is on the board of human-rights organisation Sex Matters, said the image was "shocking and irresponsible".
"Young women are being sold a lie that if they have their breasts removed and take hormones they can become men, or at least avoid being women," she told the Telegraph.
A Costa Coffee spokesman said: "At Costa Coffee we celebrate the diversity of our customers, team members and partners.
"We want everyone that interacts with us to experience the inclusive environment that we create, to encourage people to feel welcomed, free and unashamedly proud to be themselves.
"The mural, in its entirety, showcases and celebrates inclusivity."
