The Twitter verse is back with a new uproar – right on time for Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. The Hershey chocolate factory is facing tremendous backlash after releasing a women’s advertising campaign in Canada, featuring a transgender person.

“Investing in the right programs, initiatives and strategies with inclusion, equity and diversity are at the core of our business to make a difference and support our long-term business growth,” said Michele Buck, CEO of The Hershey Company.

Tweet posted from @FaeJohnstone:

#BoycottHershey’s became the top trending hashtags on Twitter, with users displeased on the choice of “women” for International Women’s Day.

In a public statement, the Hershey company said, “This year’s HER for SHE initiative highlights five Canadian women working to build a better future through their passion, activism and work in their communities: Autumn Peltier, indigenous rights activist; Fae Johnstone, 2SLGBTQIA+ advocate; Rita Audi, gender equality and education activist; Naila Moloo, climate technology researcher; and Kélicia Massala, founder of Girl Up Québec.”

Some reactions via Twitter:

International Women’s Day origin lies in the U.S. and European suffrage movements of the early 20th century – it was adopted by the United Nations in 1977 and takes place on March 8.

The inclusion of transgender women in female issues, sports and spaces has been in hefty debate from quite some time, some arguing that transgender women should be treated the same as other women, while others claim they are different and strive to protect biological women’s rights.

The question is, will you be boycotting Hershey’s for International Women’s Day?

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