M&S apologises over trans employee in bra department (Telegraph)

[WimbledonWhites]

How many “cis” male members of staff do you suppose would approach teenage girls in the lingerie department?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/04/ms-apologises-over-trans-employee-in-bra-department/

https://archive.ph/nTDB9archive.ph/nTDB9

These guys don't want to understand how this young girl feels though.

Thry think only one person's feelings matter in this situation. The man's.

Really? I’ve never read anything negative here about trans men / female trans persons.

Don’t you mean there’s a lot of negativity about males approaching young girls or in women’s spaces? Because the last seems to me to be the main concern.

Can you really say that women who are - due to their life experiences and well borne out statistics - wary or afraid of men are ‘hateful’? Is it hateful for women to prefer single sex environments when that’s what we’ve been used to for years and years for safety, privacy and dignity? Don’t you think that the women’s reactions and concerns are fairly natural?

Interestingly there’s a few men who are speaking up for women on the Pink News comments. The women on the other hand… One woman asks how could this woman tell the person was trans, while another clearly has the special glasses because in another instance she could tell, but had no issues with being sold jewellery by a transwoman. There are not enough eye rolls.

I imagine that someone at M&S will read this thread so here is an example of how seriously one of your competitors takes safeguarding.

I took my DD to Rigby % Peller at 13 for her first bra fitting as I thought it would be less embarassing than an open plan department store. I was told that I would have to wait a bit longer as the next available assistant hadn't been DBS checked and R&P only allow DBS checked staff to fit bras for under 16s even when accompanied by a parent.

Why don’t these men become more resilient and get over it when women criticise their behaviour?

Bloody hell, with that extra bit of detail it’s even worse. I wish I was shocked.

Skirt? Lipstick? Head tilt? Sorry I get really confused about how we are supposed to perform womanhood nowadays and what differentiates a man from a man who says he’s not a man. Can someone send me the manual?

That is brilliant! Certainly something M&S needs to consider

This is really helpful information for anyone looking for a more suitable alternative than M&S. Thanks for sharing.

Great to hear this!!

I wonder which staff toilets and locker room the M&S TIM uses?
All of the many M&S Tims actually. There's a lot of them about.

Please do enlighten us on what other reason a MAN (however he identifies) would offer to help a TEENAGE girl have a bra fitted?

It's like they have undertaken a risk assessment and take child safety seriously - surely this is the entry level for a company that deals with children?

Succinctly and accurately put.

I can't wait until the first retailer gets their arse sued for their lack of safeguarding in the workplace and/or of customers with regard to single sex provision.

Then the buzz word really will be safeguarding courses. Lots of money to be made there...

Exactly this.

The focus will then absolutely turn on it's head as companies shit themselves about what really matters, instead of playing "be kind"

It cannot come quick enough.

I haven't read the full thread but if this person keeps his job it's an outrage.

Based on the facts he's shouldn't even have been in the lingeree department let alone offering to help a teenage girl with bra fitting.

Seriously there are so many flags with this it's unbelievable. He should be disciplined for gross misconduct. If he isn't it's a travesty,

Unless the magic trans word gives him a licence to behave in a predatory manor towards minors?

I’d disagree it’s progressive. Taking away women’s rights is quite the reverse

I’ve had it with M&S after being their customer for decades. They are so contemptuous of the feelings of women - their main customers - that I’m done.

I complained at the customer service desk at M&S Cribbs Causeway, Bristol about 5 years ago now, because I came out of one of their female changing cubicles with my blouse undone to check some trousers in the bigger mirror, and there was a bloke lounging on a chair right outside my cubicle in the ladies changing room
waiting for his partner. So he got a right eyeful and I was v embarrassed. And furious.

There were no signs at all in the ladies changing room giving the ladies any warning that men were allowed in, so I was shocked to see him. I complained at the customer service desk who told me they were “sorry I was upset” but it was their policy. So I complained to their head office but never received a response.

I see from this story that nothing has changed. I should have sacked them off five years ago but I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but they have shown their true colours and their contempt for me (loyal female customer) too many times.

TLDR Fuck off M&S, you’ll get no more custom from me until you place my rights and needs on a level with the men that you prefer to appease.

Of course it's not progressive. It's a reduction of women to stereotypes, costume and performance, and a demand that they give over to men. It's not liberal either. Removing women's spaces excludes women from public life, and there's nothing less liberal than demanding that everyone share your false perception and never do anything to suggest they dissent.

I've got a suggestion for them: when the male Dr Beth Upton of Fife NHS Trust, who is known to run around the ED and burst into tears after being challenged in the female changing room and also (it is rumored) have a hissy fit when an elderly person with memory difficulties 'misgenders' him, when this particular TW develops some resilience - maybe we can give their suggestion a teeny, tiny bit of consideration.

Only maybe.

I’m guessing the magic trans word will indeed save him. M&S havent said he’ll even get a warning.

Lurking in the bra section and approaching young girls. Any other male member of staff would have been sacked.

M&S in Ayrshire. The mum posted it on X.

Women and girls are resources, there to do as they're told, comply, support the narrative/pander/make nice. Imagine women and girls having the audacity to have preferences, thoughts, or feelings of their own! The very idea.

Bollocks to that literally
A man in a dress shouldn't be interacting with teen girls in that setting.