While first glancing at this advertisement I initially feel admiration for a company as high profile as Tiffany & Co. for showing support to a “controversial issue” that still exists in many countries around the world. Featuring a visibly gay couple in advertisements unfortunately still puts companies at risk of losing sales and customers and overall I appreciate their efforts in supporting gay rights. This advertisement is a step in the right direction but there is much more that needs to be done.

A quick google search of “gay advertisements” shows you the types of models that companies are willing to display as gay in their ads. The vast majority are white, seemingly masculine men who are dressed well and traditionally. It’s obvious that as gay culture becomes more integrated into mainstream society, an acceptable form of homosexuality has been constructed. “Homonormative” is a relatively new term that describes this type of acceptable homosexuality and puts this group of gay people who best conform to the norms produced by the dominant heterosexual culture on a pedestal. This advertisement is a perfect example of this particular phenomenon as it is an intersection of white privilege, middle to upper class privilege, gender privilege, and cisexism. It displays two white males who are seemingly a monogamous couple, with masculine features like short, well-kept hair, scruff and gendered clothing. Not to mention, the product the company is selling through this advertisement is perhaps the biggest symbol of heteronormativity there is: wedding rings. Further, this company is infamous for being very expensive, and their products are typically only purchased by people within the middle to upper class demographic. Therefore, perhaps what Tiffany & Co. is really selling in their advertisement is a way for gay people to be “normal,” something only available for a portion of the LGBTQ+ community.