Marks and Spencer has been forced to apologise after a new poster advertising bras for “fearless young things” stirred controversy among critics who blasted it for being “dehumanising”.
The poster is advertising first bras for young girls and features the message “first bras for fearless young things” next to pictures of two smiling girls.
People on social media were quick to call out the retail giant for what they claimed to be giving in to the “demands of trans activists”, despite none being vocal on the situation.
An outraged Bev Turner, a GB News host, posted the images to her X account, writing: “Dear @marksandspencer. Your shop is a crucial part of British identity. You are important and you need to thrive.
“But this sign dehumanises all young women at the very moment when they must NOT feel embarrassed or ashamed of their femininity.
“We need to celebrate them becoming adult females – not erase them! It is not the job of our daughters to make confused boys in bras feel better about themselves. I’m truly shocked.”
The response from certain members of the public prompted an M&S spokesperson to confirm the posters would be taken down. They added: “We’re sorry we got it wrong this time.”
Helen Joyce, the director of charity Sex Matters, which claims it’s “standing up for sex-based rights”, said the advert “accommodates the feelings” of men and boys who “pretend they are female”, though there is no evidence that transgender people were calling for the poster to be made.
She told The Telegraph: “It’s really incredible to see retailers bend over backwards to accommodate the feelings of a tiny number of men and boys who are unhappy about being male and want everyone else to pretend they are female.
“Why are their feelings prioritised over the feelings of the half of the human race that actually is female?
“M&S should wise up, stop fretting about the unreasonable demands of trans activists and unapologetically refocus on its main customer base: women and girls.”
M&S proudly calls itself an “inclusive retailer” and lets customers use changing rooms based on their gender rather than biological sex.
This also drew backlash from people claiming to care about “young girls being spied on” even though the retailer’s changing rooms are private spaces with lockable doors.
