A Samsung advert aired in Singapore was pulled by the company after receiving complaints from the religious community for featuring a drag queen.
According to the BBC, those calling out the ad accuse Samsung of trying “to push LGBT ideology.”
The ad was intended to help promote the company’s wearable technology products. It featured various people listening to recorded messages from loved ones, while their heart rate was recorded by a smartwatch.
One moment highlights a mother hearing a message from her drag queen son. "You are just unbothered having people looking or judging you differently, having a son that does drag," the son dressed in drag tells his mother.
After receiving backlash, Samsung decided to pull the ad and address the situation via a Facebook post.
“We are aware of the feedback that one of our recent campaign films for our wearable products may be perceived as insensitive and offensive to some members of our local community,” said the post. “We acknowledge that we have fallen short in this instance, and have since removed the content from all public platforms.”
The post continued to say “Samsung believes that innovation and growth are driven by diversity and inclusivity. We will certainly be more mindful and thorough in considering all perspectives and viewpoints for our future marketing campaigns."
Despite local activists calling for change, Singapore remains a country where LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance are still largely taboo.
Vyla Virus, the drag queen featured in the video recently updated supporters on how he and his mother are doing after Samsung pulled the ad.
“Me and my mom, we are doing well. We are doing good,” Vyla reassured viewers before thanking his supporters for sending kind messages. “It’s all about a mother’s love in that video. Nothing else was mentioned.”
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