Who Is Fae Johnstone? Trans Woman At Center Of #BoycottHersheys Is Unbothered Amid Backlash

Hershey’s International Women’s Day campaign for Canada has incensed transphobic reactions on social media. One of the personalities featured in it is 27-year-old transgender woman Fae Johnstone.

In a promotional video released by Hershey Canada, Johnstone can be heard saying, “We can create a world where everyone is able to live in public space as their honest and authentic selves. See the woman changing how we see the future at Hershey’s Canada.”

The campaign, which also put Johnstone on chocolate bar wrappers, has since been branded as woke propaganda on social media.

Who Is Fae Johnstone?

Johnstone (preferred pronouns: she/they) is the executive director and co-owner of Wisdom2Action (W2A), which supports youth-serving organizations across Canada.

Founded in 2011, the organization became a social enterprise in 2018. It specializes in “community engagement, creative facilitation, research and evaluation, knowledge mobilization and equity, diversity and inclusion,” according to its website.

Aside from her role at W2A, Johnstone is involved with two other organizations dedicated to trans and gender-diverse health and youth suicide prevention. She has been an activist for 10 years and was recognized for her commitment in 2019 when she became one of the recipients of the LGBTQ Youth Line Trans Activism award.

Last month, she authored a piece for Ottawa Citizen that discusses the government’s inaction against the rising anti-queer hate. Her article also mentions some steps the government can take and calls on elected officials to act toward protecting queer children.

The HER for SHE Campaign

Apart from Johnstone, the campaign spotlights four other Canadian women: Indigenous rights advocate and water activist Autumn Peltier, gender and education equality activist Rita Audi, climate tech researcher Naila Maloo and Girl Up Québec founder Kélicia Massala.

The stories of these five women are featured in five limited-edition chocolate bars, which are on sale across the country.

“Having the bars on sale across Canada only serves to amplify women’s voices and stories, and will encourage more Canadians to spotlight those making change in their own communities,” Brittany Chopra, senior marketing manager at Hershey Canada, said in the campaign’s press release.

On top of shining a spotlight on these women trailblazers and their stories, the company has also pledged $40,000 to Girl Up, which supports young women in building leadership skills and accelerating social change.

Reactions to the HER for SHE campaign

#BoycottHersheys became a trending topic on Twitter Thursday, largely over Johnstone’s inclusion in the campaign.

One person even accused the chocolate company of “erasing women with trans women on their packaging.”

Another individual said they were “happy to boycott Hersheys,” adding that “the American people are sick and tired of having woke lectures shoved down their throats We want chocolate, not Leftist propaganda.”

Another person dismissed Johnstone’s identification as a transwoman, writing, “Weird how @Hersheys couldn’t find real women to sell their herSHE product on #InternationalWomensDay.”

A netizen also called Johnstone a “man wearing lipstick.”

Despite the negative reactions, there were those who supported the campaign.

“Who else is going to buy a ton of Hershey’s today, because pissing off hateful bigots is always a good time?” someone tweeted.

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., tweeted a photo of himself holding a Hershey’s bar and another type of sweets, noting, “Enjoying some Pennsylvania HerSHEy’s after votes today.”

Another individual lauded the company for its move, writing, “The evolution of everything that works is that it once did not. The idea that #Hersheys is evolving to be inclusive and open to new ideas of the culture makes them brave and worthy of a little applause.”

Fae Johnstone’s Reaction to The Backlash

Hershey’s remains trending on Twitter as of writing, with vitriol-laced comments pouring in against the inclusion of Johnstone in the campaign. However, Johnstone remains unbothered.

“The reaction to my inclusion as a trans woman in Hersheys Canada’s IWD campaign shows just how far we still have to go in the fight for feminist liberation and trans rights,” she wrote in a tweet. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not shutting up. I will always stand up for women and girls, cis and trans.”

In a follow-up tweet, she said, “Thank you to everyone who has reached out to check in. Thank you to everyone who has come to my defence. Thank you for speaking up. Your solidarity means the world to me, and shows trans people we aren’t alone in this struggle.”

International Business Times has reached out to Johnstone for comment.