Misinformation correction: M&S Staff

[BeeSourianteAgain]

M&S have responded to people's enquiries, here's one:

https://bsky.app/profile/dpdormouse.bsky.social/post/3lvuzitrplc2f

As expected the staff member was just doing their job, something that happens thousands of times a day in shops all over the country.

As per normal, the trans panic was manufactured.

I fully expect all the GCs and media pundits who were pushing all sorts of hate to apologise, but as a person on their second LGBTQ moral panic I know very well how it goes.

Anyone remember James Makings? Worked for the NSPCC? He was 'misbehaving' big time (do have a Google) at work and when called out on it a lot of people wrote in to say what big meanies his detractors were - move on, nothing to see here, folks. Just a bloke at work. All the people lauding the lingerie speaker are reminding me of this. I wonder if Bee stuck up for Makings, too.

Sure. She was just referring to some mythical ‘cross-dresser’ who was offering bra fittings to teenagers who doesn’t actually exist.

I mean I get that you folk think JKR can do no wrong but pretending that her statements weren’t very clearly signally that this particular employee’s impugned actions included offering a bra fitting is nonsense.

M&S’ revenue in 24/25 was up 6.1% compared to 23/24. Is it possible that they’ve looked at the bottom line and determined that the great transphobe boycott is actually not having any damaging impacts on the business.

M&S’ revenue in 24/25 was up 6.1% compared to 23/24. Is it possible that they’ve looked at the bottom line and determined that the great transphobe boycott is actually not having any damaging impacts on the business.

I for one don't think there is any person in the world who is perfect.

I get that you folk think that men (with a gender identity) can do no wrong but pretending that a man approaching a girl in the lingerie department and offering to "help" her is absolutely fine ... I just don't believe that you are that naive. So why are you supporting that action? And why are you trying to deflect attention from it by wanging on about JKR's words?

Shame it's 2025 and M&Ss financial year has been a total catastrophy and they need to work their little socks off to do substantially better and get every penny they can.

Im convinced TRA and MRA believe that JKR is the leader of women, and if they can tear her down, they tear every women down. And suddenly men can be women, and men can chat to teenage girls about bras.

You may have inferred that, but she didn't actually say it with her actual words, did she.

And you keep saying she did.

PlanetJanette · Today 13:41
Sure. She was just referring to some mythical ‘cross-dresser’ who was offering bra fittings to teenagers who doesn’t actually exist.

so you agree they shouldn't exist?

The contined wanging on about JKR and the ignoring of the Molly disaster is notable isn't it.

I actually don’t believe trans people can do no wrong. They can and they do. Like all of humanity trans people aren’t a monolith. I certainly do reject the blatant approach of ascribing blame for individual trans people’s actions to the entirety of that cohort, because that is straight out of every oppressors playbook.

As for why I am appalled at what has happened here - it is because this story is nothing other than a trans person, one who could almost certainly be very easily identifiable, being vilified and lied about for doing their job. Even if you are right that they should have used better judgement or that M&S should change their policies (I don’t agree on either count but let’s go with it), acres of coverage about a private individual, a sales person whose only crime was to politely check if a customer needed help and step away when they said no is abhorrent.

It’s like folk in the transphobic cult won’t stop until there’s another Lucy Meadows - and even then I’m sure they’ll find some way to justify the hounding of private individuals doing nothing to justify that vilification. If you’re comfortable with that that’s fine. I’m certainly not and I think anyone who is is deranged.

Yes, it's a one-note song. It's all Janet can sing.

Where did I say that?

It’s irrelevant whether I think they should or should not - because the individual we are discussing had nothing to do with bra fittings contrary to what so many transphobes want people to believe.

So you believe transwomen should be able to be bra fitters? Is that right?

Molly is extraordinary. How can anyone have that little self-awareness? I can't work out whether it's terrifying or reassuring.

Well you're going off alarming that JK Rowling thinks they shouldn't be!

Yes. It’s 2025 and their year end figures for the most recent financial year, ending in April, show sales growing by 6.1%.

Were you under the impression that their profit woes were due to drops in sales? That the transphobe boycott was biting?

Yes. It’s 2025 and their year end figures for the most recent financial year, ending in April, show sales growing by 6.1%.

Were you under the impression that their profit woes were due to drops in sales? That the transphobe boycott was biting?

You’re going to have to be more specific by what you mean by ‘able to’.

Are you saying you think they should be legally prohibited from that line of work?

I will categorically state that bra fitting should be a restricted profession meaning transwomen are legally excluded from being recruited to any position involving fitting bras for women and girls.

If we're talking about hounding, let's not forget Jenny Lindsay, the author of Hounded. That is a book well worth reading; Jenny is very articulate and clear, and compassionate. I agree that social media has blown the incident in M&S Ayr up into a huge storm, but it's not just a storm in a teacup, because it demonstrates very clearly that inappropriate behaviour is being excused. I wish no-one had exaggerated the incident, that's social media for you, but it stems from denial that the behaviour was unacceptable.

I'd be pro with them fitting bras in specialist shops for transwomen that specialise in bras for male torsos. However that wouldn't validate.....

Just no where near a bra fitting service or indeed lingerie department for women.

I'm not sure there are any Halifax branches in Scotland anymore. My nearest one changed to a BoS then closed completely.

it is because this story is nothing other than a trans person, one who could almost certainly be very easily identifiable, being vilified and lied about for doing their job

No.

One more time for the hard of thinking:

• Staff in M&S do not do cold approaches to customers. It's literally company policy not to do it.
• Staff in M&S definitely don't do cold approaches outside of their area. If Gavin is on the cheese counter today, he's on the cheese counter unless his manager sends him elsewhere. He doesn't get to wander into the bra department on his own initiative and approach customers there.
• Even if staff did do cold approaches, one would hope they would be especially cautious about doing it with a seemingly unaccompanied child browsing underwear.
• A male member of staff regardless of trans identity should be especially reluctant to approach a seemingly unaccompanied child, for his own protection as much as hers, since this is a massive safeguarding red flag.
• Since I believe that sex is real but Planet does not, I should probably say that it would also be massively inappropriate for a female staff member to approach an unaccompanied male child browing underpants and strike up a conversation about his underpants needs. That never seems to happen though. It's almost as if the sexes are different.
• M&S comms being a mess is not a surprise to anyone who watches the company. In this case they appear to have issued an apology to the mother, implicitly accepting blame that something went wrong, while Planet wants us to assume the mother is lying and pay attention to the emails they've been sending to random TRAs assuring them that they're an inclusive company. I suggest that these messy comms are evidence that M&S know they've fucked up but don't have a clear idea what to do about it.

I'm afraid the only thing to see here is Planet yet again explaining to us that safeguarding = hate.

Oh yes male born people whether trans or not are welcome to fit bras on male born people ( actually my dh could do with a decent sports bra so would be a good service, he suffers from gynecomastia due to a chromosomal issue.)