Glamour UK Cover Sparks Backlash Over Trans Women

Glamour UK put nine transgender women on the cover of its 2025 Women of the Year issue — dubbed "The Dolls" and pictured in "Protect The Dolls" T‑shirts — to honour their work in fashion, activism and media amid what the magazine described as growing threats to trans rights. The decision provoked a loud backlash led by J.K. Rowling, who said mainstream women’s magazines were “telling girls that men are better women than they are,” with other critics arguing the move erases biological women. Critics also highlighted controversies involving some honourees, most notably Munroe Bergdorf’s past inflammatory remarks and her previous sacking by L’Oréal. At the awards, Bergdorf responded defiantly, urging concrete support for trans people and calling on employers and institutions to “pay the Dolls, employ the Dolls.” Glamour defended the selection as recognising “ground‑breaking voices” in the trans community, while red‑carpet images and media coverage underscored how polarising debates over gender and representation have become.