Shaving for the first time is a big moment in every man's life. Toronto artist Samson Bonkeabantu Brown shared that milestone for him in a very personal and public way.
Brown's experience is the focus of a new Gillette ad that's already been viewed more than 1 million times since it was posted on the razor company's Facebook page.
"I always knew that I was different, I didn't know that there was a term for the type of person that I was," Brown explains in the video.
Brown, who is transgender, discusses how he went into his transition just wanting to be happy and is glad he's at the point where he can shave.
The video then shows Brown standing in front of a bathroom mirror and shaving for the first time as his dad stands by and coaches him along the way.
"I'm at the point in my manhood where I'm actually happy. It's not just myself transitioning, it's everybody around me transitioning," Brown said.
The video ends with the message, "Whenever, wherever, however it happens – your first shave is special."
Brown wrote on his Facebook page that he wanted to include his dad in the ad because he's been one of his greatest supporters while encouraging him to be confident and live authentically as his best self.
"I am confident that this ad will encourage many of my trans siblings and fill them with the knowledge that our existence in this world can be filled with the love and support we deserve," Brown wrote.
This isn't the first time one of Gillette's ads has gone viral in recent months.
Earlier this year, the company released an ad focused specifically on curbing toxic masculinity. The company also said at the time it will pledge $1 million per year for the next three years to non-profits that work to help men become role models for the next generation.
