Lush Cosmetics has been accused of promoting gender ideology to children in Irish stores through a partnership with The Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI).
The campaign includes marketing, in the form of leaflets and a window display in stores, which claims that GPs are “on board with gender-affirming care.” A window display at the cosmetics brand’s store at Dundrum Shopping Centre in Dublin also includes messages such as “Ireland leads on trans rights” and “trans youth living their truth.” Other messages displayed on the large lilac and blue display include, “Ireland: A safe haven for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers” and “I [love] my trans kid.”
The Lush campaign has partnered with organisations TransActual and My Genderation in the UK and with Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) in Ireland, with a TENI leaflet placed in stores throughout Ireland.
The advocacy from Lush, which also has stores in the US, comes after the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a document, “Gender-Affirming Care and Young People,” which called for therapy over medical interventions for youth experiencing gender dysphoria.
In reaction to the controversy, Genspect slammed the cosmetics company as having a “long history of exploiting gender issues for shock value,” claiming the company had long been guilty of “pushing trans activism.”
“Now they’re going even further, shoving medical transition propaganda at vulnerable children, all while bypassing parents. This is appalling,” the international organisation founded by psychotherapist Stella O’Malley said.
The new campaign was launched in partnership with UK and Irish charities, after the UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of ‘woman’ is biological, and does not include those who identify as transgender women.
The campaign runs from April 23 to May 11, and will see the brand sell its new “Liberation” bath bomb in the colours of the trans flag, light pink and blue. 75 per cent of proceeds from the bath bomb, which costs around €7 will go to TENI. According to Lush, the campaign features “free educational booklets,” with one authored by TENI entitled: “Challenges for Trans People in Ireland: What needs to change.”
The window displays features cartoon children designed by trans activists Fox Fisher and Lewis Hancox, whilst a free 24-page booklet (Dream vs. Reality), advocates for the expansion of “gender-affirming care.” QR codes also link to trans activist-produced videos.
“This marketing directly targets Lush’s core audience, young people aged 12 to 25 – many of whom are at critical stages of psychological development and identity formation, and who often shop independently of their parents,” Genspect said.
“No information is provided about the irreversible consequences of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgeries. There is no room for thoughtful analysis, alternative perspectives, caution, or for truly informed consent.
“Serious risks, such as double mastectomies, osteoporosis, incontinence, permanent sexual impairment, and infertility, are entirely omitted. Instead, children and adolescents are presented with a single, activist-driven message: transition is fun – much like the bath bombs and soaps sold beside pastel posters celebrating gender-affirming care. The idea of the “trans kid” is promoted not as a complex identity, but as a cool, edgy persona.
“This is not marketing; it is trans activism targeted at children.”
Lush said of the campaign, “This campaign comes from the heart of the business. Requested by our staff and led by our incredible campaign partners, it comes at a time where positive trans representation is needed to counterpoint some of the toxic narratives that have been shaping public discourse. We hope that the vision presented in this campaign becomes reality and helps to shape a world we can all be proud of.”
It comes as the store, which is especially popular with teenagers and young women, came under fire after it placed a leaflet in party bags gifted to children as young as seven and eight claiming that there was a global conspiracy against those who identify as transgender, as reported by the Daily Mail, with one angry parent describing it as “propaganda.”
The British newspaper reports that young girls received the pamphlet as they left a birthday celebration event for one of the stores’ branches, where they also created bath bombs and soaps. The booklet, which was 24 pages long, claimed that transgender people had been made ‘the target of a calculated media assault’ in a bid to divert attention from ‘global crises’.
The Times newspaper also reported that the branded campaign materials handed out were included in the party bags without parental consent or warning.
The British cosmetics retailer, which has stores in Ireland, produced the leaflet in collaboration with the charity TransActual, with the publication also claiming that the media landscape was “encouraging violence” and that lives had been “devastated” by a “tidal wave of hate.”
The Natural Women’s Council also hit out at the display in its Dublin store, saying in a statement: “Promoting transgender ideology to children not only contradicts the Cass Review, which advises caution against an unquestioning affirmative approach, but it also stands in contrast to the UK Supreme Court ruling affirming that legal definitions of “women” are based on biological sex”.
The organisation has said that children should be protected from ideological marketing in retail spaces, as it asked supporters to contact the store to “ask them to respect boundaries.”
In a letter to Lush, the organisation expressed “serious concern” about the window display which it said “promotes gender ideology in a manner that is prominently visible to children.”
“This is especially concerning given that the store also hosts children’s parties, meaning young children are directly exposed to this messaging during events intended to be age-appropriate.”
It comes as Lush announced last month that it was launching “gender affirming care” for its UK and Ireland staff.
“To coincide with the launch of this campaign, Lush is rolling out a Gender Affirming Care policy as part of its commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive working environment and supporting trans, non-binary and gender diverse employees,” it said in a statement. The company said it would provide, among measures, “dedicated transitioning leave” to “ensure that trans employees have the time and support they need to access gender-affirming care.”
Lush Cosmetics were contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of the publication of this article.