Hershey's trans 'Women's Day' spokesperson advocated for rapists to be housed in women's prisons

More information has come to light about Fae Johnstone, the trans-identified male chosen by Hershey Canada as one of the faces of its International Women’s Day campaign, including Johnstone’s support of biological male rapists being housed in women’s prisons, and the desire to push gender ideology in schools.

In a Twitter thread, Matt Walsh accused Hershey Canada of choosing a “vile, woman-hating extremist” to represent women, with a series of screenshots of Johnstone’s social media history.  

The now-widely shared series of tweets in which Johnstone calls for women who have different political beliefs to be “so vilified they don’t dare speak” are included in Walsh’s thread alongside a recent Twitter exchange in which Johnstone argues that male rapists who identify as women should be housed in women’s prisons.

In an exchange with LGBT activist Peter Tatchell on the subject of Isla Bryson, the Scottish serial rapist who had been housed in a women’s prison before being moved to the men’s facility following uproar from the public, Tatchell tweeted in support of this decision, and Johnstone responded asking him why his fight for LGBTQI liberation did not include “trans women.”

“So should we also segregate gay prisoners? Lesbian prisoners?” asked the male being celebrated as an inspiration to Canadian women and girls. “It’s not the misgendering that hurts here - it’s the idea that trans women are a threat to cis women that underpins the separation ‘solution’. Also, abolish prisons. Lol.”

Walsh pointed out that Johnstone’s desire that women should be so “vilified” and attacked that they don’t dare “speak their views publicly,” is nothing new. Johnstone was calling for “militant” queers to rise up against political opponents in 2017, shortly after discovering a female identity.

The individual honored by Hershey Canada on a day that is supposed to celebrate women hasn’t been identifying as a woman for very long. In 2014, Johnstone was using hashtags such as #gayboy and #queerboy and apologized to the transgender community for having “cis privilege” and taking up space as a “queer” man.

“I want to acknowledge my own #cis privilege, and say that across the board, white queer men like myself take up space that marginalizes the most oppressed and diverse members of our communities,” wrote Johnstone in 2014.

But then Johnstone discovered a “femme” identity and began advertising as a #professionalqueer seeking paid gigs and opportunities. By Dec 2017, Johnstone was lecturing “cis allies” about “allyship,” just a few short years after apologizing for having “cis privilege.”

“On Allyship: allyship means taking cisgender and heterosexual spaces and making them queer and trans-inclusive,” wrote Johnstone in January 2017. “It means not expecting trans and nonbinary people to have to educate everyone around them every day and in every new space.”

These days, when Johnstone isn’t encouraging followers to intimidate and bully women into submission, or advocating for rapists to be housed in women’s prisons, the Ottawa trans activist is calling for school boards to ensure “all students learn about accepting trans people.” Johnstone’s idea of “accepting trans people,” however, is to “unequivocally affirm trans women are women” and that “ideologies saying otherwise are based in transphobia.”

In response to the Canadian teacher showing up to work wearing obscenely large prosthetic breasts, Johnstone argued that “cis people wear absolutely atrocious outfits all of the time and it’s never national news,” and went on to suggest that the only reason it was being reported was because of transphobia.

Walsh also accused Johnstone of “arguing against parental rights.”

“Parents do not have absolute rights over their children. Children have rights too. Another gentle reminder to the children’s rights sector: we need you to speak up for trans kids now more than ever,” tweeted Johnstone in 2022.

Johnstone is the executive director of Wisdom2Action, an LGBTQ+ consulting firm that has received around $1.3 million in funding from Trudeau’s Liberals. During the launch of the Federal LGBTQ2S+ Action Plan last year, Women and Gender Equalities Minister Marci Ien gave a personal shout-out to Johnstone.

Johnstone is also the first biological male to serve on the board of directors of YWCA Canada.

“The only acceptable response from @Hersheys is to disavow this radical extremist, remove him from the campaign, and apologize to its customers,” concluded Walsh.

Johnstone tweeted Thursday that the backlash "shows just how far we still have to go in the fight for feminist liberation and trans rights.”

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm not shutting up. I will always stand up for women and girls, cis and trans,” said the male who wants women too scared to speak.

However, according to the CBC, Hershey released a statement Thursday saying: "We value togetherness and recognize the strength created by diversity. Over the past three years, our Women's History Month programming has been an inclusive celebration of women and their impact. We appreciate the countless people and meaningful partnerships behind these efforts.”