Barclays ad shows transgender woman receiving advice for 'big t***'

Barclays criticised for advert that shows transgender woman receiving financial advice so she can fund surgery to give her ‘big t***’

•  The bank has teamed up with Channel 4 for a series of ‘authentic’ TV adverts
•  Luna, a 30-year-old transgender woman, wants advice on saving for surgery
•  She details how she is transitioning from male to female but her goal is surgery

Barclays has been criticised for an advert that shows a transgender woman receiving financial advice so she can fund surgery to give her ‘big t***’.

The bank has teamed up with Channel 4 for a series of televised adverts showing ‘authentic and heartwarming’ stories.

Among those featured is that of Luna, a 30-year-old transgender woman wanting advice on saving for surgery to make her ‘appear more outwardly feminine’.

But critics have accused the bank of double standards, saying it would never have featured a biological woman wanting cosmetic surgery.

The ad features Luna, a 30-year-old transgender woman wanting advice on saving for surgery to make her ‘appear more outwardly feminine’

Critics have accused the bank of double standards, saying it would never have featured a biological woman wanting cosmetic surgery

Stephanie Davies-Arai, from the campaign organisation Transgender Trend, said a biological woman saving for a similar operation would have been ‘dismissed or ridiculed’, adding: ‘The advert damages the reputations of both Barclays and Channel 4.’

Meanwhile, a critic on Mumsnet wrote: ‘A trans woman being encouraged to use savings for a “breast augmentation” operation? Would they have an advert encouraging a woman to have cosmetic surgery? Very odd.’

The broadcaster encouraged people aged between 20 and 40 to apply to feature in the series, where financial experts offer advice to Barclays customers. Six were selected for longer pieces on the bank’s website and Channel 4 social media accounts. Three, including Luna, also appear in the TV adverts.

Luna details how she is transitioning from male to female but her goal is surgery.

She says: ‘One of the main things I want is a breast augmentation or, well, boob job to put it clearly. For me, I think as a trans woman, I like the idea of feminising my body so I reach the gender that I have, that’s inside of me.’

Luna says she has saved £7,000 but is encouraged to invest to reach her goal of £16,000 for surgery.

By the end of this year, Barclays will have closed 178 branches in 2022 alone, on top of dozens more in recent years.

Luna details how she is transitioning from male to female but her goal is surgery

The bank is a close corporate sponsor of the campaign group Stonewall and has been listed as a ‘star performer’ on its workplace equality list since 2017.

Channel 4 pulled out of Stonewall’s diversity champions scheme last year after the charity was criticised for providing inaccurate advice regarding transgender people.

Barclays said: ‘The film reflects a natural flow of conversation between advisers and our customers. It is an authentic and personal expression of what was on our customer’s mind.’

Channel 4 said it ‘has a strong heritage in showcasing a wide range of different stories and voices’.

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