Why is a make-up company discriminating against Trump voters?
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British make-up brand Illamasqua has vowed to stop selling its products to Trump supporters. The cosmetic giant is refusing to ‘knowingly’ allow those who support the controversial president to endorse, buy or wear its products.
‘Illamasqua believes in the freedom of expression’, its founder, Julian Kynaston, wrote on the company’s website. But, quite clearly, Kynaston does not believe in freedom of expression for Trump voters. By disregarding the democratic will of 62million people, Kynaston is sneering at the US electorate.
As part of its anti-Trump pledge, the brand has also drawn up a list of rules prospective customers must abide by. They must not discriminate, they must speak up for the voiceless, and they must help eliminate hatred and intolerance. But Illamasqua isn’t even abiding by its own rules. Demonising people because of who they voted for is just another form of prejudice.
There is little that is positive about Trump’s presidency. He is deeply illiberal, and his moves to curtail immigration and abortion access are particularly worrying. But Illamasqua – by jumping on the virtue-signalling bandwagon – isn’t challenging these policies, it’s just venting its own hatred.
Stopping someone from buying your products because you disagree with their politics is small-minded and needless. Illamasqua should stick to what its good at – giving our faces, rather than our politics, a make-over.
Izzy Lyons is a writer based in London.
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