This video is an advertisement for an Argentinian bank, and features a trans woman. I say, good on Banco Provincia! May they get throngs of new customers for this!

Transcript after the cut.

[Speaking to a customer] Trans woman: Its more natural…

[A car pulls up and an elderly man gets out and walks over.]

Trans woman: Mr Lopez, how strange to see you around here!

Mr. Lopez: I’d like to know… When a bank credit was granted to you to open the hairdresser, did they ask for your identity card?

Trans woman: Yes.

Mr Lopez: But the document shows that you are a man!

[The woman frowns and folds her arms]

Trans woman: Yes.

Mr Lopez: And did they grant it anyway?

[The woman nods]

Mr Lopez: This is the same bank that has granted me a credit to buy the car.

Trans Woman: Mm.

Mr Lopez: That made me think. And so it encouraged me to come and apologize to you for treating you badly all this time. For not knowing how to treat you. Have this.

[Passes her a wood carving of a ballerina]

Trans woman: For me?

Mr Lopez: I’m sorry.

Trans woman: Thank you, Mr Lopez!

Mr Lopez: Bye!

[Mr Lopez's wife and the trans woman wave as one another as he gets back in the car.]

Caption: Your life changes when there is a bank disposed to change

Narrator: You have a life, you have a bank.

Banco Provincia.

Hat tip to Jacky for this one.

Text reads: If you drink like a man, you might end up looking like one

I find this poster extremely offensive. Not only is it sexist, and relying on the pressure on women to be conventionally attractive in order to control the behaviour of women, but its transphobic.

A trans woman in Warrington where this poster is most widely distributed has made an official complaint, and a request for it to be removed. NHS Warrington, the organisation behind the image, has claimed that they consulted with the “national lead for the transgender community”, and that they saw no problem with the image. I am slightly dubious about that claim, and would like to know what ‘national lead’ they spoke to. Perhaps the UK is much more organised than Australia, but it seems unlikely that there is one organisation or person who is the ‘national leader’ for trans people.

As was pointed out at the Sociological Images blog:

The ad is relying on the viewer being disgusted at the idea of a masculine face covered in make-up. That is part of what is supposed to create a negative reaction. But make-up and masculinity are not intrinsically or naturally at odds. We only believe this to be so.

Relying on people to be disgusted by a masculine face wearing make up? Thats transphobia, and that should not be acceptable.