How Brands Are Working to Accurately Portray the Transgender Community

Representation still has a long way to go

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When Benefit Cosmetics opened its first store in San Francisco in 1976, the brand’s founders, twin sisters Jean and Jane Ford, also inadvertently opened the door for transgender people to feel seen. At the time, Benefit’s store was in the Mission District, a San Francisco neighborhood with a large LGBTQ+ community.

Over the last 46 years, the company has maintained that connection as it’s grown its product line, featured trans models in its campaigns and partnered with trans beauty influencers like Nikita Dragun.

“It’s

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This story first appeared in the March 21, 2022, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.