Reply from the Body Shop re JKR... just so dreadful...

[onlywomennotmen]

Apparently men menstruate too...

^Hello, and thank you for getting in touch with us about our recent tweet to JK Rowling. We wanted to respond to everyone who has reached out to us to clarify our position on this issue.

We are longstanding supporters of the rights of women and girls on issues which affect them and believe it is important to keep having conversations around difficult topics such as this. Every person has the right to live their life free from the fear of violence, especially gender-based violence. The Body Shop has been an active campaigner on this issue since 1994.

The Body Shop’s position on menstruation in relation to trans and non-binary people is that we stand with ALL menstruators. People have periods – women, men and non-binary people. And plenty of women don’t. We value learning from everyone’s experience and we believe the conversation needs to go forwards, not backwards.

We disagree with JK Rowling’s view and wanted to demonstrate our support for trans and non-binary people. We understand why addressing the tweet to JK Rowling’s personal account has been interpreted as an attack on her as an individual, and as a domestic abuse survivor. That was absolutely not our intention. We didn’t get the tone right on this one and we do want to engage respectfully and constructively on these important issues.

We believe it is important to keep having conversations around difficult topics such as this, and doing so constructively. We recognise that our engagement with JK Rowling on this occasion wasn’t as constructive as we would like to be. We all need to educate ourselves, be inclusive and stand together so that we can end the shame and stigma around periods for all menstruators and stand up for what is right in our society.

We stand by our position on the rights of trans and non-binary people, and we will learn from this execution to ensure our communication is stronger and more constructive in the future.

We hope this helps you understand our position. We appreciated hearing yours.^

Anyone else sick to death of been referred to as a menstrator.

I got the same reply. I have now asked twice to have all my data removed from their systems and they have ignored me twice. I know they have a month, but at least acknowledge you are working on it.

Thanks for that meaningless reply. You must have missed the part where I asked you to close down my account and remove all data you hold on me, as per GDPR regulations, as you make no mention of this.

Given that this is the third time I have to ask (I appreciate ovaries are easy to ignore: story of my life as the owner of a set) I just thought I’d remind you of the legal deadline to action this request by, which is close of business on the 11th of July 2020. This is based on my original request having been submitted on the 11th of June 2020 at 5pm BST.

"The right to be forgotten appears in Recitals 65 and 66 and in Article 17 of the GDPR. It states, “The data subject shall have the right to obtain from the controller the erasure of personal data concerning him or her without undue delay and the controller shall have the obligation to erase personal data without undue delay” if one of a number of conditions applies. “Undue delay” is considered to be about a month. You must also take reasonable steps to verify the person requesting erasure is actually the data subject."

In case anyone needs it. Then wait until they send you some salesy email and have some fun.

I closed my account this morning and it's still 'live'. The chatbot told me it wasn't simple and would take some time.

Closing an account isn't simple... Wow.

In the system we use you just click a field on the database. That's it. I could train a chicken to do it.

Their IT systems are clearly as shit as their marketing strategies.

I think I may have said something along those lines. (nah, not really).

I also suggested they needed to have a word with their compliance department as their complaints procedure was woeful.

Boynton was previously the CEO of British men's clothing chain Charles Tyrwhitt. He must be mega pissed off at this chaos landing on his head because some numpties decided to start banging on about men's periods as a stupid marketing idea. I bet no one asked him to do start taking to men about their periods in his last job.

He will be off back to the safety of menswear in no time!

Did Thyrwits sell special shirts for men for when they had their periods?

Maybe a little extra cotton around the tummy for bloating? Shorter on the tail in case of any unfortunate flooding? Secret hanky locked for blubbery trips to the loos?

Just read this on Boynton's LinkedIn page:

'I am naturally highly accountable.'

Are you though David, really? Because I haven't even had a response from yet and from where I'm sitting, The Body Shop is 100% paralysed by its own monumental fuck-up last week.

Has he said anything? I suspect not. I really want tot know who wrote their cut and paste response. Who actually picked out the words on their keyboard ‘men have periods’?

You again?

Wtf @tropafp ?! Go away.

Reported. Down in 5

Was it the the affiliate link troll bot again?

Dunno - I didn’t click in case it was porn or something...

Someone selling trainers. Weird. They are on another thread flogging board games too.

Probably some poor sod is sitting there wondering about their social media agency ‘expenditure budget for Google Adwords’...

I have not really bought anything other than requested gifts at the Body Shop for years. The brand has no glamour, cachet or visual appeal to me. I want to feel like I am buying into an attractive image, or if not at least getting a bargain. The Body Shop hasn't offered either since I was about thirteen.

Having spoken to several friends and relatives aged from teens up who did shop there, they all say they won't shop there again. Some are big JKR fans. But the Body Shop don't need to worry about empty stores, we all agreed we'd recommend them to every menstruating man we know!

I am another one who is done with bodyshop. And we buy a lot from them normally, as DH and DC like their products. But as it is me that buys them, that is the end of that.
Absolutely awful behaviour from this all male governed company.

Oh yes - here too.

I used their body creams and perfume, and DH liked their shampoo. DS just got into their men’s stuff (but DH just went and got him a whole new load). I usually get DSIL a gift hamper for Christmas and birthdays. MIL used their face cleaners and toner. My sister used their body cream.

We’re all out.

I just don't get it. Surely we can call women women without hating trans people, and surely we can protect female only spaces without being accused of spreading hate.

You’d think wouldn’t you? But that’s not the game at all.