The 'Bad at Love' hitmaker, who performs at the latest Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, calls out the event for its 'lack of inclusivity.'
- Dec 3, 2018
AceShowbiz - Halsey couldn't stay quiet after Victoria's Secret chief marketing officer Ed Razek made controversial comments about plus-sized and transgender models. Despite her participation in the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, the singer has blasted the event.
On Sunday night, December 2, the same day the show aired on ABC, she took to Instagram to criticize the show for lack of diversity. "I have adored the Victoria's Secret fashion show since I was young. Performing this year alongside other amazing artists and hardworking models/friends was supposed to be the best night of my year," she opened her lengthy statement. "However, after I filmed the performance, some comments were made regarding the show that I simply cannot ignore."
She continued, "As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have no tolerance for a lack of inclusivity. Especially not one motivated by stereotype. If you're on my page because you watched my performance tonight, please allow me to instead direct your attention to GLSEN: An organization that offers services aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ youth." She went on revealing that she had made"a sizable donation" to the organization in honor of the LGBTQ+ community.
"If you are a trans person reading this, and these comments made you feel alienated or invalidated please know that you have allies. We stand in solidarity, and complete and total acceptance is the only 'fantasy' that I support...," she concluded her post.
Halsey's post was likely a response to Ed Razek's comments on Vogue magazine, in which he bluntly ruled out trans people's participation in the prestigious fashion show. "Shouldn't you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don't think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy," he told the magazine. "It's a 42-minute entertainment special. That's what it is. 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."
After he landed in hot water for his comments, Razek has apologized for his "insensitive" remarks. "My remark regarding the inclusion of transgender models in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show came across as insensitive. I apologize," he said in a statement released by Victoria's Secret.
Please read this important message from Ed Razek, Chief Marketing Officer, L Brands (parent company of Victoria’s Secret). pic.twitter.com/CW8BztmOaM
— Victoria's Secret (@VictoriasSecret) November 10, 2018
He went on explaining, "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."
