Munroe Bergdorf resigns from LGBT advisor role after a week in the job
(Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Munroe Bergdorf has announced that she has resigned from her post as the LGBT advisor to the Labour Party after a week in the position.
The trans model, who was appointed to the committee by Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities Dawn Butler, announced on Twitter that “with great sadness” she will step down from the role, citing an onslaught of “nasty tabloid fodder” as the reason for her resignation.
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“Following last week’s exciting announcement that I had accepted a place on the LGBT advisory board assembled to offer counsel to Dawn Butler MP, the Labour Party’s Women and Equalities Minister, it is with great sadness that I have decided to step down from the position,” wrote Bergdorf in a letter posted on Twitter.
“This is a decision I’ve made due to endless attacks on my character by the Conservative right-wing press and relentless online abuse. I refuse to be painted as a villain or used as a pawn in the press’ efforts, especially those at the Daily Mail, to discredit the Labour Party or discredit their transphobic rightist agendas,” she continued.
“I wanted my appointment to be something exciting and positive for the community, but instead it has become nasty tabloid fodder blown out of proportion.”
Although Bergdorf emphasises her reasons for stepping down from the role, the letter indicates that she has faith in the committee’s power and passion.
“I will not allow myself to be centred in this negative narrative, but more importantly I don’t want to stand in the way of the board serving as a positive catalyst for change within the UK’s LGBT communities.
“I refuse to be used as a distraction from the upcoming discussions concerning the Gender Recognition Act and the Conservative Party’s lack of action on the Racial Disparities Audit.”
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The model has faced calls to step down from the position from Conservative MPs, including out gay Tory MP Nigel Evans has called for Bergdorf to resign from the Labour LGBT+ board after a string of tweets using the words “poof” and “dyke” and made fun of a “hairy lesbian” friend’s “barren womb” came to light.
“I’m absolutely shocked. I don’t know which community she’s representing but it is certainly not mine,” said Evans.
Bergdorf issued an apology on Twitter, which read “Who I was at 23 years old, is not who I am at 31.”
“Regarding any offensive tweets that I’ve posted in the past; namely those tweets shared playfully between close friends, I want to begin this letter by apologising. I am sincerely and wholly sorry – both to those who I cruelly speak about in those tweets, but also sorry to the entire LGBT+ community and anyone who has supported me over the past year.
