Member-only story
Do i smell transphobia? Or did someone just pass wind?
Earlier this week, many in the trans community were dismayed by news that alternative cosmetics retailer, Lush, had been smearing large quantities of money over some already plump and deeply transphobic bodies. Donations to Women’s Place UK (WPUK) were cited as evidence of badness, and the LGBTQ rumour mill ran rife.
How true is this? And what does it say about Lush’s commitments to the trans community? Now read on.
It all began with the publication of accounts by Women’s Place UK. These revealed, to the consternation of many, that they had received some pretty large handouts from Lush UK over the last few years. Shock! Horror!
Worse, as the story evolved, it emerged that other anti-trans organisations had benefited from Lush generosity, while trans-supportive organisations had been turned down.
What was going on? Was this just pink-washing on a large scale, or something else.
Here goes with a few basic Q&A’s
What is the Lush Charity Pot?
This is the mcguffin at the heart of the current controversy. Lush maintains a pot of money that they regularly dole out to good causes. According to their own guidelines, “Charity Pot…
