Last week, Baroness Nicholson, a British politician, faced backlash after sharing transphobic posts on Twitter about Munroe Bergdorf, including retweeting racial slurs, calling her “a weird creature,” and misgendering her.
Nicholson, who is also the co-founder of children’s charity Lumos with anti-trans author JK Rowling, later retracted her statements and issued an apology to Bergdorf, denying claims that she was “transphobic, homophobic, and racist.”
“I expressed myself casually, and in a manner which suggests that I do not support the rights of the [LGBTQ+] community, to and about Munroe Bergdorf,” she added. “For this I apologize unreservedly.”
In a response posted to Twitter, Bergdorf said she was “pleased” at Nicholson’s apology, however she regarded it as disingenuous, explaining why transphobia is never “casual.”
“In subsequent interviews, you said that you have been expressing yourself ‘casually,’” Bergdorf said in the statement. “‘Casual’ is a term I have come to know only too well as a woman of color. ‘Casual racism,’ for instance, is not casual for those who suffer it. ‘Casual’ sexism or homophobia is not casual for those who experience it.”
Nicholson proceeded to post more anti-trans tweets after her apology, including a meme calling efforts to improve transgender healthcare in the U.K. “crazy.”
“I worry that your activity in the last few hours speaks to the truth behind your apology,” Bergdorf noted. “That you are more concerned with your own crumbling reputation as complaints gather and grow by your name than you are for any need to reconcile our considerable differences.”
Following the backlash, Nicholson appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Today show and invited Bergdorf to lunch, adding that it would be “fun” to meet her and that they could “find common ground if they met in person.”
Bergdorf said she has accepted the invitation, but only if the Baroness would first “apologize unreservedly to all trans people and their families on Twitter who have been caused great pain by a number of your tweets.”
After Nicholson’s transphobic comments, The Booker Prize, a leading literary award, dropped her as its honorary vice president, releasing a statement that said Nicholson’s anti-trans remarks were “her own personal views” and that she had “no role in the governance or operations” of the foundation.
“We, the trustees of the Booker Prize Foundation, met today and wish to reiterate that the views expressed by Baroness Nicholson on transgender people are her own personal opinions,” the statement said.
“The issues are complex, but our principles are clear. We deplore racism, homophobia and transphobia – and do not discriminate on any grounds.”
Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
