17 women’s organisations in the UK have penned a letter to a UN committee expressing “dismay and disappointment” after a biological male was appointed as a ‘Champion’ of UN Women’s UK.
Last month UN Women’s UK which says its “mission” is to “ensure that every woman and girl has access to safety, choice, and a voice” appointed male trans activist Munroe Bergdorf as its ambassador.
The groups which include Fair Play for Women, Sex Matters, Transgender Trend and the Women’s Rights Network said it was “disappointing to see the UK committee go so far as to select a male to represent women” adding that the foundation’s credibility is “in tatters”.
Calling Bergdorf “a male who presents in a highly sexualised stereotype of womanhood” the letter said that despite there being 33 million women in the UK, every one of them had been “ignored” and a man chosen.
If Monroe Bergdorf wants to represent Transwomen all power to them but womenneedwomen to represnt them.17 campaign groups have signed a letter opposing the appointment of MunroeBergdorf as its Women UK Champion inc @fairplaywomen,@SexMattersOrg,@Transgendertrd @WomensRightsNet pic.twitter.com/BLRy2ugONU
— Sarah (@shashim260) January 3, 2024
It also accused Bergdorf of having “objected to women making references” to female bodies and also of being “dropped” from charity Childline allegedly because of “inappropriate messages which were counter to safeguarding norms.”
It further stated that he had resigned as an adviser on LGBT+ to the UK Labour Party after previous “homophobic and racist posts on social media were revealed”.
These, it said, included posts saying “all white people” are “violent racists” and “fuck you, stupid dirty and smelly nigga” while also accusing him of engaging in “homophobic messaging” and the use of expressions such as “faggot”, “old poof”, “hairy barren lesbian” and “barren…hairy dyke”.
On his appointment as ‘Champion’ last November, Bergdorf said he was “incredibly proud” to step into the role.
He added, “It’s a responsibility that I don’t take lightly,” Bergdorf added. “I will use this role to further advocate for the progress, safety, inclusion and empowerment of ALL women and girls, of all communities and identities.”
In 2017 Bergdorf was fired from his position as a model with cosmetic brand L’Oreal Paris after the emergence of comments he had made on Facebook accusing “all white people” of being “racist” but was rehired in 2020 in order to “shape the firm’s diversity policies” according to Reuters.
He also said that white the “entire existence” of white people was “drenched in racism”.
Before being rehired, Bergdorf had accused the cosmetics brand of “racial hypocrisy” after it posted a message expressing “solidarity with the black community” after the death of George Floyd.
The women’s groups claim that the trans rights activist is “not pro-women” saying it did not see “how a male whose presentation as a “woman” is an extreme, sexualised version of femininity” can contribute to the aims of “dismantling gender stereotypes in advertising and media.”