A British man has launched a lingerie line that includes “panties” he can wear as a transgender women.

Forbes magazine reported on the GI Collection that the man who goes by the name Carmen Liu introduced earlier this year and noted that an estimated 0.6 percent of the U.S. population is transgender and about one percent in the U.K.:

When Carmen Liu stepped into the lingerie department of a store, all she felt was frustration. Amid the rows of satin and lace, the everyday cotton, and the special occasion silk, there was not one pair of panties she could wear.

She decided to take matters into her own hands and, after securing funds from a private investor in the summer of 2018, the London-based entrepreneur set to work designing a small collection of panties for trans women. The GI Collection launched in February 2019 and sold out within days. More than 50 percent of sales were from overseas customers, and Liu has since expanded the collection to include eight styles.

Liu said:

I had this business idea circulating in my mind for two years, thinking of how I would design the lingerie if I had the opportunity. I wouldn’t say there was lightbulb moment as such. The idea hit me due to pure frustration of not being able to buy lingerie. Once I got the green light I began working 16 hours most days to cover every detail and possible option that would benefit and bring positive change to our community.

Liu complained about the “woke-washing” of brands that claim to be “LGBTQ friendly” but don’t cater to transgender needs. Liu went on to say:

There are many brands out there that will use trans individuals as a selfish marketing ploy, yet they do not cater for us. We do have specific design needs and we need to be heard and catered for. We should be allowed the experience of lingerie shopping on the high street, just like everyone else.

Forbes reported:

Like many transwomen, Liu, 27, has not opted to have gender reassignment surgery, so the only underwear option available to her was to wear a kind of jockstrap known as a ‘gaff’ which would enable her to ‘tuck’ her genitals in order to hide them and create a smoother outline.

So far, he is selling his product directly to consumers, as no stores have yet agreed to stock them, according to Forbes.

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