TL;DR
- Marks & Spencer apologized to a mother upset by a trans employee offering assistance in lingerie section.
- Complaint cited “biological male” and daughter being “freaked out.”
- Over 400 signed an open letter urging M&S to retract apology.
- Supporters accuse M&S of failing trans staff and promoting discrimination.
- Backlash raises questions about corporate allyship for LGBTQ+ workers.
M&S Trans Row Ignites Fierce Backlash
Marks & Spencer is under fire after bending to a customer complaint about a trans employee — and the LGBTQ+ community isn’t letting it slide.
It all started when a mother and her 14-year-old daughter walked into the lingerie section of an M&S store for a bra fitting. A shop assistant, allegedly trans, politely offered to guide them to the right area. The mother later filed a complaint, describing the employee as a “biological male” and claiming her daughter was “visibly upset” and “freaked out” — adding that it was “obviously the case” the staffer was trans because they stood “at least 6ft 2in.”
Instead of defending the employee, M&S issued an apology, telling the family they were “truly sorry” and assuring them they’d be helped by a “female colleague” next time. That apology is what lit the match.
Customers Clap Back
Hundreds of shoppers — many of them staunch LGBTQ+ allies — have now flooded M&S with complaints of their own. They say the retailer threw its staffer under the bus for simply doing their job.
On social media, furious customers posted the emails they sent to M&S. One supporter wrote that offering assistance is “an entirely normal action” performed “countless times every day” and that singling out an employee for being LGBTQ+ (or even just appearing to be) is “outrageous.”
Another demanded M&S clarify if it’s “prepared to support trans employees in customer-facing roles” and “prepared to accept trans people as customers on an equal basis with cisgender people.” For them, the answer would “have a huge impact” on whether they continue shopping at the chain.
The Open Letter That’s Making Waves
An open letter, signed by more than 410 people so far, is now calling on M&S to retract the apology. The petition accuses the retailer of entertaining “discriminatory views” under the guise of “customer feedback” and warns this is about “human dignity, workplace safety, and legal protection” — not “differing opinions.”
“Transgender people deserve the same respect and rights as any other staff member,” the letter declares. Its author, who wished to remain anonymous, said they were “deeply outraged” and hoped M&S would realize “just how big a mistake they have made.”
M&S, in a separate statement, insisted its staff “typically work across all departments” and customers can “speak to the colleague they feel most comfortable with.” But for many, the damage was already done.
For the LGBTQ+ community, this isn’t just about one incident in one store — it’s about whether big brands walk the walk when it comes to inclusion. By apologizing to a customer upset over being approached by a trans employee, M&S signaled that a trans person’s mere presence in their role can be cause for “distress.” That’s a dangerous precedent.
It tells trans workers they could be publicly undermined at any moment, and it tells customers that their discomfort with someone’s gender identity will be validated. In a political climate where trans rights are constantly under attack, moments like this are a litmus test for corporate courage.
The message from the backlash is clear: allyship isn’t about rainbow logos in June — it’s about standing firm when equality is tested. And right now, M&S has a lot of explaining to do.