Transgender activist and model Munroe Bergdorf made history last month when she became the first trans woman to feature in a L'Oréal UK campaign.
However, the celebration of transgender visibility was short lived, the cosmetics giant canned her from the advertisement after she posted a Facebook status about the violence in the US city of Charlottesville. "Honestly I don't have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people," Bergdorf wrote.
"Once white people begin to admit that their race is the most violent and oppressive force of nature on Earth... then we can talk," the model reportedly wrote.
L'Oréal swiftly announced that her post was “at odds” with the brand’s values.
"L'Oréal champions diversity," the company tweeted. "Comments by Munroe Bergdorf are at odds with our values and so we have decided to end our partnership with her”.
In the wake of the controversy, Bergdorf received support from celebrities and trans activists including Janet Mock, Clara Amfo, Juliette Lewis and Courtney Act.
And now, she’s announced she’s the new face of cosmetics brand, Illamasqua on her Instagram page.
The British based brand Illamasqua has also released a statement about the collaboration, writing that they were “angered to hear that Munroe Bergdorf has been dropped from the L'Oréal True Match campaign.
“Illamasqua is a brand that stands proudly and unashamedly for diversity and equality. We don’t stand or accept any form of racism, but we also believe Munroe’s comments have been edited out of context by a certain media title (who we won’t bother naming) without telling a true story.
“In order for our generation to move forward and create a more inclusive society, it's not just about showing diversity. We must all be free to talk about social issues in a constructive and tolerant way."
