An Aussie-made Libra tampon ad blasted as transphobic when it first appeared on screens in New Zealand has been given the go ahead from our local advertising complaints agency.

The ad ( see it here ) showed two women audaciously competing with each other in a nightclub bathroom. One of them shows she uses Libra tampons, and threfore appears to win their battle.

While many thought the lame ad was no big deal, transgender groups – and several readers here on Same Same – spoke up calling the commercial “damaging and demeaning” to transpeople.

The Australian Advertising Standards Bureau has now ruled that the ad “does not demean women who do not menstruate, nor does it demean or vilify transgender people and does not vilify men who dress as woman.”

The ad “features a man dressed as a woman in a female bathroom environment, however there is no way of determining whether they are representative of drag queens or transgender women,” says the ruling.

It concluded: “the advertisement did not discriminate against or vilify any section of the community.”

When the debate raged earlier this month, the ad’s Melbourne drag queen star Sandee Crack said she was proud of it. “Libra were both sensitive, professional and accepting of my needs as a drag queen and as a gay man throughout the production process,” the drag entertainer said. “I never felt for one moment that I would be depicted as a trans woman, nor do I believe that I have been.”

But several prominent transgender community voices are still annoyed, and have now blasted the Advertising Standards Bureau’s decision. 9 News spoke to Transgender Victoria spokesperson Sally Goldner, who found the ad ‘disturbing’.

“A big issue we face is violence in toilets because we don’t meet people’s expectations,” she says, “and (the Advertising Standards Bureau) are effectively spitting in the face of people trying to stop violence against transgender people.

“We think the ad standards gang are very ineffective and they have never understood transgender issues.”

Though the Ad Standards Bureau’s decision means the Libra ladies have been given the OK for screens across Australia, it’s unlikely to be seen. The tampon company was quick to respond to criticism of the commercial, saying: “Libra regrets any offence taken to our recent tampon advertisement. It was never intended to upset or offend anyone.

“Libra takes all feedback very seriously, and in response to this, we will immediately review our future position with this campaign based on the feedback received.”