Trans White House flasher Rose Montoya has bemoaned the recent loss of big-money brand partnerships — accusing companies of “caving to bullies” during the current backlash to their support of the LGBTQ community.
Montoya — who was banned from future White House events over Saturday’s “inappropriate and disrespectful” display — told The Guardian that June would usually be the most lucrative month of the year with brands keen to look like LGBTQ allies during Pride.
But this year, the boycotts and backlash against such campaigns by the likes of Target and Bud Light have also cut influencers’ cash cows.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of my trans friends and colleagues, and we’ve all noticed less brands seeking partnerships and smaller budgets for Pride campaigns,” Montoya complained.
“It’s disappointing,” the flasher said in an article published Tuesday, a day after her full-chested celebration at meeting President Biden.
“I’m disappointed to see brands caving to bullies,” she said of the sudden hesitancy to align with LGBTQ influencers like Montaya.
The main backlash started against Bud Light after it worked with another White House-visiting trans influencer, Dylan Mulvaney, producing special cans to celebrate the 26-year-old’s “365 days of being a woman.”
Target was later forced to yank a series of trans products amid uproar over “tuck-friendly” clothing for young kids with extra fabric to help hide male genitals.
Both companies have been crushed financially, with plummeting sales following a staggering 15,000 social media calls for Pride-collection boycotts — nearly 40 times higher than a year ago, when there were just 400, The Guardian noted.
Other influencers accused brands of trying to profit off them — calling it “rainbow capitalism” or “pinkwashing.”
“There are times that you can just tell it feels like a money grab,” New York skincare influencer Ian Michael Crumm, 30, told the outlet.
Still, Montoya — the child of an Idaho pastor — claimed to be above getting used for clout.
“When it comes to Pride, I need to know if a company is doing good in the world and actually showing up for our community,” the activist told The Guardian.
“I’m very selective of who I work with, and I need to know that a company is doing good in the world, not just profiting off of us.”
Early Tuesday — hours after The Guardian article was published online — Montoya posted a video defending the tacky White House display that further fueled critics.
“Going topless in DC is legal, and I fully support the movement in freeing the nipple,” Montoya said, calling it part of “living in joy.”
“Why is my chest now deemed inappropriate or illegal when I show it off? However, before coming out as trans, it was not.”
The influencer later asked followers to “please be patient” during a period where she “will be unavailable” after getting flooded with hundreds of messages.
“I will be making a public statement press release soon,” Montoya wrote late Tuesday.