Victoria’s Secret boss apologises for anti-trans comments

A senior executive in Victoria’s Secret’s parent company has apologised after saying that transgender models shouldn’t be in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show because it’s “a fantasy.”

Ed Razek, chief marketing officer for L Brands, responded to a question about calls for increased inclusion from Vogue during an interview published on Thursday (November 8) by asking: “Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show?

“No,” he answered his own question. “No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy.

“It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is,” the 70-year-old executive added.

“It is the only one of its kind in the world, and any other fashion brand in the world would take it in a minute, including the competitors that are carping at us. And they carp at us because we’re the leader.”

He also dismissed the idea that plus-size models deserve a place on the runway, saying: “We attempted to do a television special for plus-sizes [in 2000]. No one had any interest in it, still don’t.”

Following backlash to these remarks, the company posted an apology from Razek on its Twitter page, in which he insisted that the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show had auditioned trans models.

The post read: “My remark regarding the inclusion of transgender models in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show came across as insensitive. I apologise.

“It was never about gender. I admire and respect their journey to embrace who they really are.”

“To be clear, we absolutely would cast a transgender model for the show. We’ve had transgender models come to castings… And like many others, they didn’t make it… But it was never about gender.

“I admire and respect their journey to embrace who they really are.”

What was the response to Victoria’s Secret’s apology?

For many, this apology was not enough to keep them shopping with Victoria’s Secret.