Every now and then, a new commercial will come out that hits you right in the feels, always when you least expect it. This week, that honor goes to Gillette, which released a one-minute ad so moving, thousands have applauded its subtle — yet powerful — message of inclusivity when it comes to trans acceptance.
The ad, released Thursday on Facebook, shows a young man getting pointers from his dad on how to shave.
His name is Samson, and he's a little older than you might expect — not an awkward high schooler eager to take a razor to those one or two hairs he's finally sprouting. But as he begins to open up to the camera, the significance behind Samson's first shave takes on a whole new meaning.
"Growing up, I was always trying to figure out what kind of man I wanted to become," he shares, "and I'm still trying to figure out what kind of man that I want to become."
You see, he always knew he was "different," but he says he didn't know what there was a term for the type of person that he was.
Samson is trans, and says he "went into his transition just wanting to be happy."
It's taken the young man from Ontario, Canada, a while to feel comfortable in his own skin, but now that he is, he says he's grateful to finally be able to shave.
It's something most cisgender men probably take for granted, and might even grumble about from time to time. But for Samson, shaving signifies a turning point in his transition that's hard to really put into words.
And yet, he does it perfectly.
So does his father, who stands behind him in one scene guiding his technique and offering gentle words of encouragement.
"Don't be scared. Don't be scared," Samson's dad tells him gently, as he watches his son carefully glide the razor across his face. "Shaving is about being confident. Oh, you are doing fine. You are doing fine."
The ad spot is brief, yet long enough to stir up a wave of emotions in viewers.
Needless to say, it especially resonated with those who saw themselves -- or one of their loved ones -- in Samson.
"As the Mama Bear to an amazing young man who happens to be trans, I thank you from the bottom of my heart," one mother wrote on Facebook. "The tears flowed watching this. Thank you for representing the trans community."
"I love this Gillette, thank you!" wrote another mom. "You have no idea how much this means to our family. Representation matters."
It certainly does. It also couldn't come at a better time, considering we're just days away from ringing in Pride Month, where LGBTQ+ acceptance and awareness is celebrated throughout the nation.
But it also comes just weeks after several shocking deaths within the trans community have highlighted a disturbing trend.
The rate of violence against transgender people in America is rising, according to the Human Rights Campaign. In fact, since 2013, 128 trans people in the US have died as the result of violent attacks. Even more alarming: 80 percent of those victims were people of color.
And in 2019 so far — which is just barely halfway over — five transgender woman have been killed in separate violent attacks across the US. All of them were black.
Clearly, the need for LGBTQ+ advocacy, tolerance, and acceptance has perhaps never been more necessary, which makes sharing stories like Samson's all the more significant.
This isn't the first time Gillette has challenged us to rethink the way we view traditional masculinity, though.
Back in January, the razor brand released a short film in response to the #MeToo movement, which aimed to call out the prevalence of toxic masculinity. Let's just say, a lot of people missed the point.
In it, the brand recapped the many (many) ways we've perpetuated male stereotypes for years, making excuses for aggressive behavior by saying, "Boys will be boys" and shrugging off sexual harassment, unwelcomed advances, corporate mansplaining, and so much more.
In doing so, the film reminded us all that we can do better, and that many of our boys and men already are, but that clearly, there's still a lot of room for improvement. But many weren't happy.
In fact, there were those who said the film straight-up "bullied" boys and men. Some called it an "attack" on men and claimed to be "infuriated." (Perhaps it's no surprise that most of these commenters were men.)
But with "First Shave," Gillette's message doesn't appear (at least so far) to be getting lost in translation -- and thank goodness for that.
So far, the main message shining through about inclusivity has so many in the trans community feeling the love.
"This is lovely!" wrote one user. "I remember early in my transition, when I hit my 18th birthday, I got a package of really nice Gillette razors in the mail. I didn't sign up for anything, just received three AMAZING razors in the mail unprompted. It was an amazing moment for me, and I'm glad this brand is helping spread inclusivity and recognition!"
Others encouraged the brand not to back down, even if it does receive negative backlash.
"This made me cry," added another Facebook user. "Thank you for making such a touching ad — my family will only purchase Gillette products from here on out. I know you will get some criticism but please stand by your message, and those of us who are fighting for human rights for all, will stand by your company."
