Harry's razors CEO, Andy Katz-Mayfield, has sparked controversy by replacing traditional terms for parents with what some conservatives consider crude and awkward language favored by leftists.
In a viral clip discussing the company's parental leave policy, Katz-Mayfield avoids using terms like "mothers" and "fathers" or "moms" and "dads." Instead, he proudly announces that at Harry's, both "birthing" and "non-birthing parents" are granted four months of leave after the birth of a child.
The clip, which gained traction on social media, showcases Harry's commitment to what Katz-Mayfield calls the company's "social-mindedness." He explains that Harry's aims to be more than just profit-driven and emphasizes their equal treatment of birthing and non-birthing parents. The audience responds with applause, while Harry's co-founder, Jeff Raider, silently approves.
Conservatives on social media have reacted strongly to the video, calling for a boycott of Harry's, similar to the Bud Light and Target boycotts following their promotion of transgenderism. However, Harry's has previously engaged in woke activism without significant impact on its market share. In 2021, the company dropped its ad sponsorship of conservative outlet the Daily Wire due to differences in gender ideology. The move generated headlines, but Harry's revenue remained unaffected. In fact, in 2022, Harry's reportedly earned over $240 million, more than double the Daily Wire's annual revenue.
Harry's has also embraced woke culture during Pride Month, releasing an ad featuring a woman who had undergone a double mastectomy and hormone therapy to appear as a man. The company pledged to donate profits from its Pride campaign to the Trevor Project, an organization supporting gender-affirming medical care, including genital mutilation of children.
While it is unclear when or where Katz-Mayfield made the speech about Harry's parental leave policy, reports suggest he has been advocating for "equal" parental leave for at least six years. However, a LinkedIn article referenced by the Daily Beast reveals that Katz-Mayfield previously used traditional language regarding gender, referring to himself as a "working dad" and discussing challenges faced by professional women as new mothers.
He did mention supporting "men, women, transgender, birthing parents, and non-birthing parents" equally, but the article predominantly used conventional gender terminology.
The recent viral video has prompted media outlets such as the Daily Beast and TheStreet to reach out to Harry's for comment on the controversy. However, the company has not responded to their inquiries.
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