Pantene, the well-known hair care brand, has released their 2019 holiday ad and they are focusing on the LGBT+ community in this year’s campaign called “Coming Home Should Be #BeautifuLGBTQ”. The ads feature the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles choir singing about returning home for Christmas as well as individual interviews of members of the choir discussing what it means to them to go home for the holidays.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsJWzXtNlgw[/embedyt]

One of the video clips explains that “137 million Americans will travel home this holiday season,” however,  44% of LGBT+ people feel they are unable to “come home as their true selves.” As part of the same campaign, Pantene also released other videos which delve into the stories of individuals from the choir and their own experiences as trans people and returning home for the holiday season.

In these more personal clips, members of the choir discuss how visiting home for the holidays changed since they came out as trans.

Miliana discussed her experiences as a trans woman whose family were not accepting of her at the beginning of her transition. She spoke about her father not wanting to express her femininity and recounted an occasion where he had shaved her long hair as a child which she had loved. She says that now their relationship has improved immensely and five years after coming out her father he embraces her as his daughter. Now, Miliana says, going home for the holidays means a sense of community and family rather than previous feelings of nervousness and anxiety.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0WQp3vF3vA[/embedyt]

While MJ talked about the concept of a “chosen family” in their video, saying that although they are not on speaking terms with their blood relatives they do in fact have a huge family within their community. They spoke about how this “chosen family” helped them and were there for them in times of need like when MJ found themselves homeless. They described home as; “not just the place [they] lay [their] head, but the people around [them], the people who support [them], and the people who love [them] unconditionally.” MJ also urged young trans and gender-nonconforming to let the holidays be a time to show and celebrate their authentic selves.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSgS6gVwV6M[/embedyt]

Pantene collaborated with GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) on this ad campaign and they have pledged to donate $100,000 to Family Equality to further their work with queer families. You can watch the rest of these beautiful Christmas campaign video on Pantene’s YouTube channel.