Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies is leading a boycott of Nike for its partnership with a transgender influencer to promote its female sports clothing range.
Dylan Mulvaney, 26, posed for a series of pictures and videos promoting the brand’s sports bra and leggings.
Mulvaney identifies as a woman and uses the pronouns ‘she/they’ but has not yet had gender reassignment surgery.
Ms Davies, who won silver for Team GB in the 400m individual medley at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, said the move was a ‘step’ back after several sports bodies moved to give biological women their own protected category in competitions.
‘It’s so frustrating. We take two steps forward with World Athletics and Swim England protecting women’s sport and then Nike does this,’ she told Dan Wootton Tonight on GB News.
‘The ad feels like a parody of what women are. In the past it was always seen as an insult to say, “run like a girl” and here we’ve got someone behaving in a way that’s very un-sporty and very unathletic and it’s so frustrating when only 1 per cent of USA sponsorship dollar goes to females in sport. That Nike would do this feels like a kick in the teeth.’
In a series of posts on Tuesday, Dylan Mulvaney shared video and images wearing Nike leggings and a sports bra
Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies has criticised Nike’s decision to partner with Dylan Mulvaney to promote its female sports clothing range
Advocating a boycott, she said: ‘We can protest. It’s what is left for us at the moment. No one seems to be listening.
‘The only way we can make these companies and governments sit up and listen is to boycott with our wallet.
‘It’s the only thing they listen to.’
Ms Davies argued it was not possible for a biological male to effectively promote products, such as bras, which have to work for women’s bodies.
She replied: ‘Dylan is advertising sports bras when there’s nothing to put in the sports bra – when actually it’s really important women get proper support when they do sport. It just doesn’t make sense.
‘For a long time, Nike sponsored Allyson Felix, one of the world’s most incredible track athletes. Then, when Allyson got pregnant, they reduced her sponsorship by 70 per cent when she had something happen to her that happens only to women.
Mulvaney has also pushed brands like EOS, CeraVe and Crest on social media profiles
Ms Mulvaney appeared in a pair of black leggings and a white sports bra to strike yoga poses in a sunny backyard
‘Women are being treated with total disdain at the moment, particularly in the world of sport where physiology makes so much difference.’
Social media star and transgender rights activist Ms Mulvaney, who lives in Los Angeles, has a large online profile after working as a comedian and Broadway actor, appearing in hit show The Book of Mormon.
Last October, the influencer interviewed President Joe Biden on the Democrats’ commitment to protect the rights of trans people.
And the entertainer has gained a massive following on TikTok while documenting the transition into ‘girlhood’, with a video series attracting one billion views.
In it Mulvaney has dressed up as a doll and discussed thoughts on finding love, having a family and being a mother.
In January this year, Mulvaney recorded gruelling ‘facial feminisation’ surgery, which saw facial bones sliced off and sanded down to give a softer, more womanly appearance.
And in Mulvaney she announced to her followers that she was a girl, although has not yet had gender reassignment surgery.
After the internet star’s 365th day of ‘living authentically’, US Vice President Kamala Harris wrote an anniversary letter to congratulate the milestone.
In the latest Nike posts on Instagram, Ms Mulvaney appeared wearing a pair of black leggings and a white sports bra to strike yoga poses in a sunny backyard.
The video then showed dancing around in a yard barefoot doing workouts while an upbeat song played.
Some people on social media expressed their anger at Nike’s decision to partner with Ms Mulvaney.
One wrote: ‘I really used to enjoy Nike as a brand but I will never wear another shoe from them after they feature Dylan Mulvaney as their new ambassador for women’s clothing.’
Meanwhile, Caitlyn Jenner accused the brand of ‘erasing women’.
But others praised her adverts, writing: ‘How can someone be this majestic and gorgeous?’
Ms Davies argued it was not possible for a biological male to effectively promote products, such as bras, which have to work for women’s bodies
Social media star and transgender rights activist Ms Mulvaney, who lives in Los Angeles, has a large online profile
Mac cosmetics posted a photo of Mulvaney to its Instagram page to celebrate Pride in 2022
It is unclear how much Ms Mulvaney was paid for the posts, but some social media insiders suggest it could be roughly £40,000 ($50,000) per post.
Ms Mulvaney was previously criticised for carrying around Tampax after the company sent out a PR package.
Mulvaney responded by saying: ‘I just sometimes carry one in case anybody needs it.’
It is not the first time that Nike has partnered with a trans star in their marketing.
In 2021, they launched their ‘Play New’ campaign with Mara Gomez, the first trans woman to play in Argentina’s professional football league.
Dan Wootton Tonight airs on GB News at 9pm from Monday to Thursday.
