Marks & Spencers bra fittings and trans women - they've missed the point

[IdaGlossop]

A mother complained to M&S when her daughter was approached in-store by a trans woman asking if she could be of assistance. The daughter needed a bra fitting and was upset as she could see that the member of staff was male. M&S apologised.

Today, in response to the incident, M&S have announced that bra fittings are for biological women only. The solution to the mother's complaint is to not deploy trans women staff in the lingerie department! Banning trans women from having bra fittings discriminates against trans women and doesn't solve the original problem.

YANBU = M&S have messed up with this decision
YABU = Banning trans women from bra fittings protects biological women from being offered bra fittings by trans women staff

www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/18/ms-bra-fitting-trans/

I mean, it's certainly a fetish for the likes of Sophie Molly, who has booked a bra fitting and plans to take many photos of the experience to post online (this is a transwoman who has already posted fetishistic pictures of themself online). Imagine being the woman doing his bra fitting.

Oh my goodness.

He's got serious mental health problems wasn't he the Scottish Green candidate who got suspended by them?

Something to do with pictures half naked with nipple clamps?

I do wish he'd leave women alone. I hope he gets banned from M&S for harassment.

Oh god, him 🙄One of the looniest of the TRAs, and that's saying something.

Thank god their time is past going.

Tbh, there are already plenty of specialists who'll fit a gentleman for a bra, help with make up, wigs, clothes & styling, & generally provide an enjoyable experience for the sort of chap who likes that sort of thing.

M&S may feel this is a useful addition to their portfolio of services, in which case they can provide it separately to the women's underwear department, or they may feel it's not a good look. That's a business decision for them, balancing the optics & the likely opinions of their core demographics.

Their statement here is encouraging, but we'll see.

A dedicated trans bra fitting service can rightfully be carried out by anyone of any sex or persuasion since they know and have chosen what they are signing up for. It wouldn’t need to be trans fitters this is just strange.

Yes. When you're too much of a loon for even the Scottish Greens, there's something very wrong.

Having never undergone breast enhancement surgery, I presume when you do they tell you what bra size you will have after since you "buy" a certain cupsize and I just presume they will measure you as part of the surgery? So in theory, transwomen won't need to get measured as they will know what size they are? Unless I suppose they gain or lose a large amount of weight.

The point is that it COULD be a fetish, and how is anyone supposed to know who is being ‘real’ and who is a fetishist?
’Real’ trans women should understand this and not push their ‘rights’ ahead of the poor staff just trying to do their jobs without being used for someone’s sexual gratification.

Generally, the men take oestrogen and get man boobs.

ETA: Plus, also, they want the validation from being measured in a Laydeez department for laydeez things.

Oh, you'll get in trouble for that! There are only 'real' TIMs.

The person (That nobody knows if they were actually a trans person) approached and offered directions to the correct department. M&S shouldn't be apologising for a staff member doing their job. The mother is an anti trans activist its pretty obvious this was set up from the beginning.

Most of the transwomen I know would struggle getting a women's bra to even fit because their chests are broad and their breasts are very small because they haven't had boob jobs, so apart from anything else, will they even find a bra that works for them in M&S?

Try and read the actual OP, maybe?

Probably not, but they'll have a lovely (for them) time trying.

It is sexualising a thing that should not be sexualised.
So while you’re doing that, will the fitters have to prove their sexuality? As a gay woman should not be doing a bra fitting if it’s sexualised in this way.

How will M&S prove the biological sex of their customers?

As Alan Cummings has said; why would anyone pretend to be trans to attack women, when trans women are treated worse than sexual assaulters in this world now.

Autogynephilia is an acknowledged psychiatric disorder where males gain sexual arousal from cross-dressing.

Only some might be fetishists then. That’s okay then.
do you actually hear yourself.

only some men are rapists, pepping Tom’s etc . It’s why we keep all of them out of women’s spaces. One is enough.

my friend works in the local court - guess what all the nice charming men who come in are there for…

Unless they've had implants the cut/sizing/products that will fit the majority of transwomen are different from most of the traditional merch anyway.

Yes, because a lesbian fitting another woman's bra is totally the same as a paraphilic man forcing a woman to measure his "breasts". Or, you know it's not.

I have never been bitten by a dog.
I have spent time with many dogs, I know quite a few well.
That does not mean that no dog will ever bite me so I take precautions to ensure I am not in a situation where a dog is likely to bite me - especially a large dog that could do me serious harm if it wanted to.
You can never be completely sure which dogs are dangerous and which are friendly so its a good idea to not put yourself in a position where you could be attacked.

YABU = Banning trans women from bra fittings protects biological women from being offered bra fittings by trans women staff

You are conflating two things here, OP.

I know, I know, I shouldn't expect these people to make sense

This is from someone who's clearly not read the M&S reviews for lacy knickers.

I suggest you do some reading around AGP. These men are literally masturbating in public places, but we’re all supposed to ‘be kind’?

As Alan Cummings clearly isn't intelligent enough to realise or maybe has an ageanda, it is not just about being "attacked". It is about having dignity and privacy and having a space away from the opposite sex.

God, I had forgot about those!

I also seem to remember women finding knickers in M&S that had clearly been wanked in. But sure, it's not a fetish.