UK Children’s Charity Drop Trans Activist From Their Campaign

It was announced on Monday that British children’s charity, the NSPCC, has cut ties with its former ally, trans model and activist, Munroe Bergdorf. The news comes after Bergdorf found herself amidst a media storm initiated online by anti-trans lobbyists. 

The 31-year-old had been working with the charity on their most recent Childline campaign launched during Pride Month in support of LGBTQ children. However, Munroe’s involvement with the charity began to be criticized on social media, with the likes of Janice Turner, an English journalist known publicly for her anti-trans stance, tweeting that the NSPCC has ‘hired a porn model as a Childline ambassador’. Tuner continued by suggesting that perhaps people should resist donating to the charity in the wake of their collaboration with Ms. Bergdorf. 

Munroe has in fact never featured in porn of any kind but reminded the journalist in a tweet that ‘demonizing those who do isn’t ok’. Turner was referring to a shoot that the model had taken part in for Playboy Magazine. The photoshoot, which was not pornographic, was to accompany an interview for the magazine in which Bergdorf frankly discussed her mental health and experiences as a trans woman of color.  

The model’s tweet went on to say that ‘this Pride Month Childline had the opportunity to lead by example and stand up for the trans community, not bow down to anti-LGBT hate and overt transphobia.’ 

Proud to be announced as @childline's first LGBT+ campaigner. The wellbeing and empowerment of LGBTQIA+ identifying children and young people is something that I have been passionate about throughout my career as an activist. pic.twitter.com/baSnTo7S7X

— ＭＵＮＲＯＥ 🌹🌹 (@MunroeBergdorf) June 5, 2019

During a month supposedly dedicated to celebrating, championing and uplifting all of those from the LGBTQ community this move, brought on by waves of transphobia disguised as concern for children, appears particularly galling. The charity’s decision to put a stop to their work with the activist also comes as they release their own figures demonstrating a nation of LGBTQ young people in crisis. Their statistics indicate that, in the last year alone, over 6000 children in Britain have received counseling sessions from the charity in relation to issues with gender identity and sexuality. 

Not only was the NSPCC’s move spurred on by openly anti-trans campaigners, but it has also become an example of the shocking inequality that transgender people face. Cis white women who have previously acted as ambassadors for the children’s charity have also taken part in so-called ‘raunchy’ photoshoots but faced no questioning of their position. 

A shocking report carried out by LGBTQ charity, Stonewall, in 2017 revealed that 4 out of 5 young trans people had self-harmed, with over 45% having attempted to end their life. With moves such as the deposition of Munroe Bergdorf in the UK and the continued rise in murder rates of trans women of color in the US, it is not hard to see that our trans brothers and sisters are in crisis. Something which this Pride Month, and every damn month, we should be doing something about.

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