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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Boycott JL and Waitrose? : James Esses' latest Substack on John Lewis LGBTQIA++ 'Identity' mag

289 replies

PersephoneSeethes · 15/02/2024 18:31

I saw it this afternoon on Twitter and read the article with utter horror.

I was hoping it would be uplifting stories about people being accepted and living full lives

John Lewis and Waitrose are seemingly actively promoting and policing
pronoun usage by colleagues, Stasi-style. This seems like it is a court case, a-la-Forstater, waiting to happen.

They have an article about 'raising non-binary and transgender children', not from an information position in case Partners come across such families in their stores, but with a heavy activist slant.

I think I have finally been pushed to the edge with this beloved company. I can no longer shop with them, and I shop at Waitrose every week for our main shop, have done for over a decade.

This is a real gut punch because I believe in what Waitrose does, or used to do: they pay their farmers better, their animal welfare is better, their shops don't have the bright lights and loud noises that set off my migraines and irritate family members autistic temperaments. But as someone who grew up a tomboy, and would have been thrown under the gender bus by Stonewall and all the other organisations if I had been a child today, I can't stand by and accept all this nonsense.

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duc748 · 16/02/2024 14:51

I'll stick with Lidl/Aldi. I see the appeal of JL/Waitrose (and indeed M&S), but they're not everywhere. I've already largely fallen out with Tesco and Asda over DIY tills and Clubcard. And Sainsburys are just rubbish IMO.

thislittlelightofmyn · 16/02/2024 14:48

Just deleting my JL app. To be honest I felt the quality of JL had declined so much in the last 10 years. It seems to have become a marketplace for some items? I bought my niece a naff but she would have loved it electrical item from there a couple of years ago, when it arrived the packaging was so cheap and nasty I felt embarrassed they her parents might have thought it wasn't safe to plug in.
So very easy not to use JL now.

Waitrose will be harder, but I'll still use their free car-park and loos, just won't buy anything to pay them back for using their facilities!

MrsOvertonsWindow · 16/02/2024 14:26

LittleMissViper · 16/02/2024 09:38

Right, that's my John Lewis membership cancelled and an email sent to request the removal of my entire account - telling them exactly why.

I'm only one person, but if I'm one of many then perhaps the message will get through.

Look at the comments under the article in the Telegraph - JL's core customer base methinks. 1220 comments and counting. Numerous men and women pointing out how promoting breast binding to girls is abusive. Lots of people stating that they'd cancelled their partnership card / account and had emailed them why.
There's a massive groundswell of understanding in society about the damage this ideology is doing to children. While it will take a while to sink in, reactions like this give a clear message to captured organisation allowing themselves to be used by transactivists. The days of unthinkingly promoting this dangerous ideology without pushback are over:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/15/john-lewis-staff-magazine-breast-binders-trans-children/

John Lewis magazine gives tips on breast binders for trans children

Partnership faces calls for boycott after critics brand guidance in staff publication ‘dangerous’ and ‘irresponsible’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/15/john-lewis-staff-magazine-breast-binders-trans-children

Rosesanddaisies1 · 16/02/2024 14:10

yes please do boycott, so I don't have to encounter any of you hateful and irrationally angry people whilst shopping there.

porridgecake · 16/02/2024 14:09

Where on earth can I do my shopping?

Chersfrozenface · 16/02/2024 14:03

SoupDragonsFriend · 16/02/2024 13:54

Does anyone know how much it costs to print 70,000, 32-page, full-colour, A4 (I presume it was A4) magazines?

I've done a couple of quotes online.

Between £23,000 and £30,000 for a fairly standard format.

I don't know what the JL magazine is like in terms of paper quality and weight, proportion of photos to text, etc.

Depending on that, and whether they've gone with high-end designers and printers, could be more.

SoupDragonsFriend · 16/02/2024 13:54

Does anyone know how much it costs to print 70,000, 32-page, full-colour, A4 (I presume it was A4) magazines?

domineastronomy · 16/02/2024 13:26

Ok that's Sainsbury's out then!
Now where?

Fenlandia · 16/02/2024 12:46

I do like a nice wordsearch with my mid-morning cuppa. I think I'll steer clear of this buzzword bingo effort from the John Lewis magazine though.

Boycott JL and Waitrose? : James Esses' latest Substack on John Lewis LGBTQIA++ 'Identity' mag
Melroses · 16/02/2024 12:06

Wasn't there an incident in Sainsbury's about the changing room becoming mixed sex?

TrainedByCatsToBeScathing · 16/02/2024 12:02

domineastronomy · 16/02/2024 11:58

Does anyone know if Sainsbury's have links to this ideology?
I shopped there this morning using my Waitrose bags.

Sainsbury’s sponsor trans charities

domineastronomy · 16/02/2024 11:58

Does anyone know if Sainsbury's have links to this ideology?
I shopped there this morning using my Waitrose bags.

TrainedByCatsToBeScathing · 16/02/2024 11:43

PomegranateOfPersephone · 16/02/2024 10:59

Are there actually any alternatives to Waitrose which are sex realist/neutral?

As far as I can tell every retailer, business and bank going has fully signed up to gender identity as the new order for society. Makes one wonder about the link between gender identity and conspicuous consumption or capitalism more widely. 🤔

I had hoped that as a cooperative, the partners would get to make decisions on these sorts of things rather than have them imposed from the top.

It’s a tricky one. Tesco have used Jane Fae which substantially puts me off using them. Morrisons hasn’t been too bad. Not noticed any of this at Lidl and Aldi.

Does anyone know what Costco’s stance is? I’m thinking of getting a membership for them.

StripyBathTowel · 16/02/2024 11:21

FYI I came to this thread from Active

DrBlackbird · 16/02/2024 11:20

This reply has been deleted

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

The answer to that is no. Every ’progressive’ or liberally minded organisation has been an effective Trojan horse for TRAs. Well meaning and good intentioned organisations and well meaning and good intentioned people, including intelligent feminists, wanting to accept everyone under the EDI banner. Unfortunately without pausing to wonder if this is really what they want to say. It’s the EDI head who formulates the policy.

This has been a golden opportunity for those wanting to advance a very specific and particular agenda. Unthinkingly reproduced by most everyone else in the organisation. I recently attended a LGBTQ+ Workshop at my institution and out of 15 ppt slides, 14 were on the T. Not even the Q or the +….

PomegranateOfPersephone · 16/02/2024 10:59

Are there actually any alternatives to Waitrose which are sex realist/neutral?

As far as I can tell every retailer, business and bank going has fully signed up to gender identity as the new order for society. Makes one wonder about the link between gender identity and conspicuous consumption or capitalism more widely. 🤔

I had hoped that as a cooperative, the partners would get to make decisions on these sorts of things rather than have them imposed from the top.

Tabasco007 · 16/02/2024 10:55

Such a shame, I love popping to John Lewis for clothes shopping, use Waitrose sometime and I was planning on buying all my kitchen appliances of JL this is year. Be a shame to see it struggling, I will write and let them know why I will no longer be shopping there.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 16/02/2024 10:44

coldpizzalover · 16/02/2024 08:11

Does anyone know the nearest equivalent to Waitrose own brand Colombian coffee? I love that stuff. I shop there every week. My family has been incredibly damaged by gender identity ideas. My children will probably never recover. I am a lesbian and we raised our kids in the lesbian and gay community. But these ideas are destroying their safety. John Lewis also is an institution and part of my history. I made all my big home purchases there, plus computers etc. I don’t want to stop being a customer but I’ve already done most of my shopping this week elsewhere. I’m so angry

Tesco finest is a decent range, we buy the Peruvian which is a bit stronger than Colombian, but I think they do a Colombian. Their coffee is the nearest we have found to the one we used to bring back from France .

MrsGalloway · 16/02/2024 10:29

thread not appearing in active and I posted last night and I’ve not had any notifications?

RayonSunrise · 16/02/2024 09:39

lonelywater · 15/02/2024 19:32

why do these outfits act like it's still 2015? You have to be deliberately sticking your fingers in your ears whilst going "La La La" to not realise the shit is hitting the fan on an almost daily basis right now. weird.

Yes, the original policy can be put down to personally invested staff taking initiative and well-meaning leadership just blindly accepting it (especially when backed with the reassuring Stonewall stamp of approval). But after all the employment tribunals and headlines, where are the real HR staff?

Worldgonecrazy · 16/02/2024 09:38

That was absolutely horrible to read. What the fuck is happening at John Lewis??? I want to support their previous business model of employee ownership, quality products at a fair price, and good customer service. I WILL not support an organisation that is actively promoting harms to vulnerable children. John Lewis is sick. I hope it gets better soon.

LittleMissViper · 16/02/2024 09:38

Right, that's my John Lewis membership cancelled and an email sent to request the removal of my entire account - telling them exactly why.

I'm only one person, but if I'm one of many then perhaps the message will get through.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 16/02/2024 09:29

I have just been down a psychology rabbit hole about 'nudging'.

It's fascinating, and a lot of it quite chilling, isn't it?

OnceinaMinion · 16/02/2024 09:15

I need material for new curtains and it’s so hard to find places to look near me, guess it’s going to be even harder.

domineastronomy · 16/02/2024 08:51

It'll be interesting to see if this thread appears in 'active'.
There are plenty of posts there that are pretty inactive.
Does anyone know the criteria for inclusion?