Transgender group protests IKEA ad

The Thai Transgender Alliance has sent an open letter to furniture store IKEA to complain about a "negative and stereotypical" advertisement, Gaystarnews online reported on January 22.

The offending ad, called "Luem Aeb" (meaning "forget to deceive"), was broadcast on Bangkok's Skytrain system from December 28 to January 13 and on YouTube.

"The MTF transgender/

transwomen character is openly mocked as being 'deceitful'," read the open letter. "The transgender content of the advertisement is negative and stereotypical in nature, perpetuating misunderstanding of transgenderism as [a] … 'deceitful and deviant lifestyle'."

The advert shows a woman who is so surprised by a sale item that she speaks with a male voice. The man she is with looks shocked and horrified. The last scene of the advert shows the man running away as the woman carries a box of flat-packed furniture by herself.

The letter from Thai Transgender Alliance demands that IKEA Global issue an official public statement about the advert.