Announced via Instagram by none other than well-known LGBT activist Katy Perry herself, CoverGirl—one of the most prominent names in beauty/cosmetics—has made the decision to include a boy in their long line of models. That’s right! A BOY!
Since 2008, upon the hiring of world-famous comedian and openly lesbian Ellen DeGeneres, the reigning queen (no pun intended) of the beauty industry has been making flamboyant strides toward LGBT inclusion. However, after coming across 17-year-old James Charles, a high school senior and YouTube makeup tutorial-ist from Bethlehem, NY, the company has reconsidered its longtime tradition of exclusively using female models, which has taken their affirmation to a whole new level.
It all started when the teen took to Instagram a few weeks ago, expressing grief over the fact that his highlighter didn’t quite look right in his senior pictures. And since his dramatic one-year rise to fame on social media has accrued him a plethora of followers, sharers, and likers (over 495,000 on Instagram alone), it wasn’t a surprise that CoverGirl caught wind of his story. Needless to say, he is stoked!
According to a recent BuzzFeed interview, Charles is appropriately excited and surprised about the news.
“I started my account to post pictures of client makeup I did to get more gals during prom season,” he said. “I never in a million years would’ve expected to be where I am today, or even [be] working with CoverGirl.”
With the understanding that CoverGirl’s decision not only affects him personally but will also inspire a generation of young men too afraid to express themselves in less conventional ways, he had a few more things to say. Concerning his subjection to an immense amount of cyber bullying, Charles, in a new Cosmopolitan Magazine interview, says:
“My comment section used to be a mess. Now [Instagram] has added filters, so I’ve removed the classic hate comments, but people still manage to get through every once in a while. They really don’t bother me. I have thick skin, and I’m definitely not willing to let someone without anything better to do than hate on someone else behind a keyboard get into my head. Our industry has been tailored towards women for so long, so I think the only way that men will become more comfortable [is] if the stereotypes are removed. Every guy who is comfortable doing so, however, is setting an amazing example and hopefully inspiring those around him.”
In a press release, CoverGirl explained why they are so excited to work with the exuberant James Charles, and what they hope to accomplish by hiring him to be the new face of their brand.
“All of our CoverGirls are role models and boundary-breakers, fearlessly expressing themselves, standing up for what they believe, and redefining what it means to be beautiful. James Charles is no exception.”
