#CancelYandy tweets call out 'sexy Native American' Halloween costumes
The costume company recently called out for its “sexy” Handmaid’s Tale costume is under fire once again.
Lingerie brand Yandy, which also sells Halloween costumes, has 43 outfits categorized on its website under “sexy Native American” and “sexy Indian” costumes. People on Twitter urged the brand this week to stop selling the costumes, calling them “disgusting,” “racist,” and “highly offensive.”
These calls came less than a week after Yandy announced that it was pulling the “sexy” Handmaid’s Tale costume — complete with the infamous red cape and white bonnet — from its site following similar backlash online. The company said in a statement that its “corporate ideology is rooted in female empowerment, and gender empowerment overall.”
Twitter users were quick to point out that Yandy removed a costume depicting fictional characters while continuing to sell “cultural” costumes that have been repeatedly criticized. Yandy has not publicly responded to the #CancelYandy hashtag, and the lingerie brand did not immediately respond to Yahoo’s request for comment. As of Monday morning, the costumes were still for sale online.
Your Handmaid's Tale costume was misguided but kind of funny honestly. This Native American section erases genocide and rape and theft and turns it into… some sort of panty party?? DISGUSTING. @Yandy you're filth if you don't fix this. pic.twitter.com/npP2pQ53lE
— Talia Lavin (@chick_in_kiev) September 23, 2018
it’s time to #CancelYandy this website is filled with dozens of racist costumes! If we can get the “sexy handmaid’s tale” removed, we owe it to indigenous women to use our voices here, too!
— bluegrassbian (@MoranSketch) September 24, 2018
#CancelYandy because indigenous women have enough shit to deal with without the blatant sexualization and dehumanization of being worn as a costume
— grace (@roguishish) September 24, 2018
#CancelYandy because they pulled a costume based on a FICTIONAL character when some people found their ‘sexy’ version offensive but have done nothing about all of their ‘cultural’ costumes that have been called out as racist and highly offensive again and again.
— Amy Chapeskie (@chapeskie) September 24, 2018
Native American costumes have long been called out for cultural appropriation, and just last year fashion designer Siran Manoukian and influencer Tommy Chiabra were criticized online for wearing them at a costume party.
Though some Halloween costumes are meant to have a shock factor, those using the #CancelYandy hashtag argue that the “blatant sexualization and dehumanization” of Native Americans shouldn’t be tolerated under any circumstances.
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