JK Rowling calls for M&S boycott after trans bra row

Telegraph

2 days ago

JK Rowling has called for a boycott of Marks and Spencer if the retailer continues to allow transgender women to access female changing rooms and offer to fit bras.
The Harry Potter author spoke out after The Telegraph revealed the retailer had apologised to a mother after a trans employee asked her teenage daughter if she needed any help in the bra section.
In a post on X, she said it was wrong that the store had 'prioritised the wishes of men' by allowing the staff member to approach the girl.
'It's time for women to vote with their wallets,' she said. 'If stores like M&S continue to flout the Supreme Court ruling on women-only spaces, prioritising the wishes of men who want to undress near, or help fit bras on teenage girls, a boycott seems appropriate.'
While the retailer apologised for the incident, it made no promise that trans staff would be told not to approach teenage girls in the lingerie department.
It's time for women to vote with their wallets. If stores like M&S continue to flout the Supreme Court ruling on women-only spaces, prioritising the wishes of men who want to undress near, or help fit bras on teenage girls, a boycott seems appropriate. https://t.co/9RsUetLEVA
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 4, 2025
In April the Supreme Court ruled that the word sex in the Equality Act means biological sex, not self-identified gender.
It means services which are meant to be segregated by sex, such as toilets and changing rooms, must be done so on the basis of biological sex – in other words, that transwomen should be excluded from women's facilities.
The Telegraph revealed on Monday that a mother had complained that her 14-year-old daughter had felt uncomfortable when they were approached by a trans shop assistant in the lingerie area of the shop, where they were hoping to have a bra fitting.
Although the staff member was polite, the mother said she felt it was 'completely inappropriate' for her daughter to be approached by a 'biological male' in that section.
In a complaint to M&S, she said: 'Imagine her horror, then, when the person to approach us and ask if we needed help was a transgender 'woman', ie, a biological male.
'This is obviously the case: he is at least 6ft 2in tall... My daughter recoiled, so I politely declined the offer and we left immediately. She was visibly upset and said she felt 'freaked out'.'
The following day, an M&S customer service assistant replied, apologising for the incident.
'Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your experience,' the email said. 'We deeply regret the distress your daughter felt during her visit to our store.
'We understand how important this milestone is for her, and we are truly sorry that it did not go as you had hoped.'
The retailer said it took her concerns 'very seriously' and would ensure her daughter 'receives assistance from a female colleague during her next visit'.
'We want to make this experience as comfortable and positive as possible for her. Please let us know when you plan to visit again, and we will make the necessary arrangements,' the email said.
The incident in M&S, in March, came a few weeks before the Supreme Court ruling.
The mother, who asked to remain anonymous, argued that the retailer's reply fell 'significantly short of the response that was required to satisfy me that M&S takes seriously the safety and dignity of women and girls'.
She said that the retailer had acknowledged 'this colleague is not female' but this was 'not sufficient to offer just my daughter the protection of not being approached by him'.
She asked the retailer for confirmation that it would not happen to any other teenagers, and that M&S would implement a policy to ensure that transgender staff would not approach young women.
'We want our stores to be inclusive and welcoming'
It is understood that the staff member involved works across the clothing section as well as other parts of the shop and is not one of the staff who carry out bra fittings.
On Monday, an M&S spokesman said: 'We want our stores to be inclusive and welcoming places for our colleagues and customers.
'We have written to this customer and explained that our colleagues typically work across all departments in our stores and customers can always ask to speak to the colleague they feel most comfortable with.'
Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at women's rights charity Sex Matters, said: 'Now that women know that they have the right not to have men in women-only spaces, they're more likely to complain and, ultimately, to take their custom elsewhere.
'As more women find the confidence to object, knowing they are backed by the law, we're going to see more of this.
'For too long, businesses have prioritised the demands of trans-identifying men with little regard for the impact on everyone else. But now businesses will have to choose.'