A new ad campaign from Proctor & Gamble-owned razor brand Gillette captures a pivotal life moment – a father teaching his son to shave – and a cultural milestone.
Shaving is a milestone in any man’s life, but it’s usually a private, intimate task.
But for Samson Brown, a Toronto-based artist and activist, the experience was anything but.
The short film, titled First Shave, is Gillette’s first advertisement featuring a transgender man.
“Growing up, I was always trying to figure out what kind of man I wanted to become,” Brown says. “And I’m still trying to figure out what kind of man that I want to become."
“I always knew I was different. I didn’t know that there was a term for the type of person that I was,” he continues. “I went into my transition just wanting to be happy. I’m glad I’m at the point where I’m able to shave.”
In the bathroom with his father, Brown practices his strokes before using the razor.
The clip that keys in on a crucial step in Brown’s transition — “I’m glad I’m at the point where I’m able to shave,” he says — has gone viral since it was posted Thursday on Facebook. It’s had more than 1 million views and collected nearly 6,000 “hearts” and 3,000 likes.
Brown said that his transition is not just about him, but those around him.
“Whenever, wherever, however, it happens, your first shave is special,” the ad reads.
The LGBTQ family advocacy group PFLAG National praised Gillette on Twitter: “As the first and largest organization for parents of #LGBTQ people we thank you for seeing our #trans kids . . . and for honouring their affirming #dads!”
In a Facebook post written after the video’s release, Brown wrote that he was overwhelmed by the positive response.
“I’m keenly aware of how blessed I am to be able to exist in this world being supported by my family in ways that all too often many of my trans brothers, sisters, and siblings who exist outside the binary are not always as fortunate,” Brown wrote. “I am confident that this ad will encourage many of my trans siblings and fill them with the knowledge that our existence in this world can be filled with the love and support we deserve.”
