John Lewis scraps LGBT event after breast binder backlash
JOHN LEWIS has scrapped an LGBT exhibition in order to protect staff following a backlash over breast-binding advice in a staff magazine.
The department store recently launched a magazine for staff that advises parents on how to find breast binders for transgender children. It recommends support from the charity Mermaids, which is under investigation by the Charity Commission amid safeguarding concerns, and praises private clinic Gendergp for prescribing crosssex hormones. As a result, John Lewis was branded “irresponsible” by GPS for the promotion of breast binding and faced public calls to boycott the store.
The store has now pulled its Pride in Partnership photography exhibition, billed as “an exploration of what it means to identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community today”, part of a “unique collaboration that celebrates the diversity within the John Lewis Partnership by capturing the portraits and stories of its LGBTQIA+ partners”.
The store said: “The project spotlights the rich tapestry of identities within the organisation, emphasising the diverse, inclusive and supportive environment fostered by the partnership.”
It is understood that the exhibition was forced to close after those involved had received abuse on social media. A John Lewis spokesman said: “We have closed the exhibition for the safety and protection of our partners.”
James Esses, co-ordinator of the Declaration for Biological Reality, a campaign group, said: “The truth is that John Lewis is strategically trying to sweep this stuff under the carpet and hope that everyone forgets. I have a message for them: we won’t forget.”
However, Dr Jane Hamlin, the president emerita of the Beaumont Society, a charity that supports transgender people, said: “John Lewis stores enjoy a high reputation for their services and products, so I would hope they would be able to provide accurate, high-quality advice on the type, size and quality of any binders before selling one to anyone, particularly a young person.”
Breast binding was referenced in the Cass Review, an independent report led by Dr Hilary Cass, who described it as “painful” and “potentially harmful”.
In reference to the magazine, a John Lewis spokesman said: “The editorial content of the magazine is at the discretion of the LGBTQIA+ network and doesn’t constitute a corporate position on the issues covered.”