Boyz editor issues grovelling apology after promoting anti-trans LGB Alliance: ‘We got it wrong. Please forgive us’
Boyz magazine. (Facebook/Boyz)
Boyz magazine managing editor David Bridle backtracked Thursday evening (26 November), saying that promoting the LGB Alliance was a “mistake” and vowed to meet with Mermaids.
In a statement posted to the British publication’s Twitter account – Bridle appears to have deleted his personal account – he apologised for promoting the anti-trans group.
Paired with a stock photograph of a bouquet of flowers, the statement read: “On behalf of Boyz magazine I wish to apologise to all our readers, venues and advertisers for the publicity we have given to the LGB Alliance.
“We recognise that many of our readers and supporters will have been deeply upset by our promotion of tonight’s LGB Alliance webinar.
“We genuinely believed we were trying to help heal a schism in the community. This was a mistake and we are sorry. The LGB Alliance does not have our support.”
https://twitter.com/BoyzMagazine/status/1332052779871965186
Boyz: ‘We got it wrong. Please forgive us’
“We will try our best to make up the damage to our relationship with the LGBT community and especially the trans community,” Bridle continued in the statement.
“We got it wrong. Please forgive us. We will be setting up a meeting with Mermaids in the very near future to help improve our relationship and our reporting of trans issues and their concerns.”
Mermaids sought to amplify the about-turn, saying: “People have been calling on Boyz to rethink its recent position in relation to an anti-trans campaign group.
People have been calling on @BoyzMagazine to rethink its recent position in relation to an anti-trans campaign group. They have listened and apologised. We look forward to amplifying trans voices with them. Real lgbt+ boyz respect and support trans lives. #TransIsBeautiful 🏳️⚧️ https://t.co/kgiFJImjnf
— Mermaids (@Mermaids_Gender) November 26, 2020
“They have listened and apologised. We look forward to amplifying trans voices with them.
“Real LGBT+ boyz respect and support trans lives. #TransIsBeautiful.”
The saga was sparked after both Boyz and Bridle shared several tweets from the LGB Alliance across November – all retweets on the Boyz account have since been removed, as well as previous responses to the backlash.
Although, several LGB Alliance tweets remain liked by Boyz at the time of writing.
After deleting the retweets, Boyz shared pleas from leaders at the Terrence Higgins Trust, a top LGBT+ sexual health charity, that called for it to “rethink” its ties to the lobbyists.
As the amazing @drlaurajwaters says! Please rethink @BoyzMagazine https://t.co/M95EBXl6Hh— Ian Green OBE (@ianrgreen) November 26, 2020
Indeed, Boyz sharing the tweets from the LGB Alliance, which included messages promoting its webinar, saw confusion quickly mingle with rage.
Users questioned why an LGBT+ publication was amplifying a group whose founders have defended working with anti-LGBT+ and anti-abortion Heritage Foundation as well as refusing to denounce its neo-Nazi and homophobic supporters.
But instead of cooling off the tinderbox situation, the magazine played with matches – Boyz went onto double-down on its support for the LGB Alliance earlier that day.
Bridle, in statements sent to PinkNews and posted on the Boyz and his own Twitter accounts, called on users to tune-in to an online seminar the organisation was holding that evening entitled: “The Gay Spot – are gay men getting lost in the gender identity debate?”
The controversy torpedoed the magazine’s distribution chain – which is handed out across London’s queer nightlife scene and acts almost like an LGBT+ yellow pages – as advertisers and stockists swiftly severed ties with Boyz.
