‘Some women have penises’: Deni Todorovic responds to Seafolly backlash

Deni Todorovič has responded to criticism of their campaign for one of Australia’s most iconic swimwear brands, pointing out “some women have penises”.

Author and activist Deni Todorovič has responded to criticism of them fronting a campaign for one of Australia’s most iconic swimwear brands, pointing out that “some women have penises”.

The 34-year-old this week became the first non-binary ambassador for Seafolly – a role previously held by the likes of Lara Worthington, Gigi Hadid and Miranda Kerr – marking the occasion with a stunning photo-shoot.

“Today we made history! This marks the first time iconic Aussie swim giants Seafolly have worked with a Trans ambassador/brand partner … I couldn’t be more honoured,” Todorovič wrote on their Instagram, alongside a shot of them in lime green bottoms and a matching cover-up.

While the move was (rightly) celebrated by many, there was also, like clockwork, a significant amount of backlash – with dozens declaring in the comments of both Todorovič’s and Seafolly’s social media posts they intended to boycott the brand.

On Thursday, Todorovič shared a powerful video, responding to one comment in particular that accused them of “trying to eradicate biological women”.

Author and activist Deni Todorovič has fronted Seafolly’s latest campaign. Picture: Instagram

“Let’s be clear about comments like this: yes, I see them, and yes, they do affect me, but I try not to let them,” they began.

“I’m going to give this person a little education. Some women do have penises, some trans women don’t feel the need to have any kind of gender [reassignment] surgery. Some of them can’t afford it. Women come in all different shapes and sizes.

“I’m also not trying to eradicate women, darling. I’m wearing bikini bottoms. I’m wearing bikini bottoms which are basically Speedos – which, last time I checked, people with penises wear Speedos.

“So many you just need to investigate and dig a little deeper as to why me, in a Speedo essentially, feels like an attack on your gender identity – because that’s not what I’m trying to do.”

'I’m going to give this person a little education. Some women do have penises.' Picture: Instagram

Responding to a second comment from the same troll – saying Todorovič was “happy for a female to miss out on a job because of a man with a penis pretending to be a women” – they explained queer people “lose out on jobs all the time”.

“First of all, I’m not a man pretending to be a woman. Not even close,” they said.

“Second of all, I’m not trying to steal a job from a woman at all. There were so many women involved in that campaign. There were also queer people involved in that campaign.

“Like Thomas who designed [the outfit], like me who is non-binary. We miss out on jobs all the time. So let’s just have a little bit of nuance before you f***ing troll me like this.”

‘I’m not a man pretending to be a woman. Not even close.’ Picture: Instagram

The brand has previously been repped by the likes of Lara Worthington. Picture: Seafolly

Seafolly, meanwhile, condemned the “hateful language” directed at Todorovič – who has steadily become one of the biggest names in the Australian fashion industry – in a statement.

“We are here to celebrate the Australian beach lifestyle and inspire one another to feel confident at the beach,” the brand said.

“In this community, we do not tolerate abusive, offensive, hateful language, trolling, deliberate disruption of discussion, or spam.

“Please be respectful of each other’s differences and remember to always be kind.”