Why a Starbucks ad on trans rights sparked joy and fury in India
Washington Post
23-05-20 12:32
An ad by Starbucks India has caused a stir after going viral, with the campaign chosen to promote inclusivity. The two minute advert shows a transgender woman meeting with her estranged family over coffee. While some critics complain that Starbucks is “imposing western culture in India,” others argue that such criticism is importing western cultural wars. Across much of South Asia and Southeast Asia, the language of gender is more fluid than it is in the West, and hijras, as the transgender Indian community is sometimes known, have been part of the country’s society and culture since ancient times.