Lisa Nandy under fire for wearing controversial ‘protect the dolls’ slogan

The Culture Secretary has been criticised for wearing a t-shirt with a controversial slogan promoting transgender ideology.

Lisa Nandy attended the ‘Pride’ march in her constituency of Wigan wearing a top with the words “protect the dolls” on it. ‘Doll’ is a contentious slang term referring to certain men who identify as female.

The phrase came into the spotlight after being worn on t-shirts by a group of celebrities including Pedro Pascal and Madonna. The term has been criticised as misogynistic, for objectifying women, and even some supporters of gender ideology object to it as excluding many gender confused people.

Flouting the law

Nandy’s actions sparked widespread criticism, with Fiona McAnena, Director of Campaigns at women’s rights charity Sex Matters, commenting: “No elected representative of the public – let alone a government minister – should be promoting the slogan of campaigners who are calling for men to be able to identify into any space for women, even those needed most such as toilets, changing rooms, refuges and prisons.

The Secretary of State should know better than to align with a movement which calls for the law to be flouted.

“The Secretary of State with responsibility for civil society should know better than to align with a movement which calls for the law to be flouted. This is naive at best.”

LabourLGB, a group that campaigns for LGB rights, wrote to Nandy stating: “you hold a position of great responsibility and influence and should be setting the standard for upholding the law as it has now been clarified by the Supreme Court. It is important that you wield that influence with complete impartiality, not favouring one tiny minority group over the rights of all others.”

Women’s Rights Network – Greater Manchester posted on social media: “it would appear that her priorities are not the protection of women & girls in line with the Supreme Court but those that seek to break the law”.

Belfast Pride

The Christian Institute recently slammed the use of taxpayers’ money in Northern Ireland to publicise a show portraying Jesus Christ as ‘transgender’.

Presented as a “theatrical piece in which Jesus has returned to earth as a trans woman”, the show was promoted by Belfast Pride, partly sponsored by Belfast City Council, Translink and the Public Health Agency.