Munroe Bergdorf has said being a trans person in the UK at the moment is “like being a second-class citizen” after children’s charity NSPCC cut ties with her unexpectedly.
Speaking to the BBC, Bergdorf, a transgender activist, revealed that she was not contacted by the charity before they released a statement claiming there was no “ongoing relationship” between her and the charity Childline.
“Munroe has been referred to as a Childline Ambassador,” the NSPCC said in a statement. “At no point has she been an ambassador for the charity.
“She will have no ongoing relationship with Childline or the NSPCC.”
The statement came after Bergdorf had announced she was Childline’s first “LGBT+ campaigner”.
According to the activist, she’d called the campaign days after her announcement warning them that they may get some pushback for working with her but they’d reassured her everything was “fine”.
Shortly after, Bergdorf woke to the charity’s decision to cut ties with her, a situation she believes is a case of “transphobia”.
Acknowledging that it is frustrating because she knows she is "more than qualified for that role,” Bergdorf told the BBC’s LGBT correspondent Ben Hunte: "[It’s] transphobia. And I’m tired. It’s not just me.
“This happens to every single trans person that speaks about what we need as a community, how we need to push forward as a community, and why what we’re being given is not enough.”
Following the announcement that Bergdorf would be working with the NSPCC, the charity reportedly faced backlash, with some calling the appointment of Bergdorf as an ambassador "inappropriate".
The Independent has contacted the NSPCC for comment.
