Michelle Dewberry has launched a scathing attack on Sainsbury’s and the publisher behind a Grinch-themed Christmas card that was withdrawn following complaints from transgender activists.
The card featured Dr Seuss’s famous green character alongside the caption “This Christmas, I’m identifying as a Grinch.”
The controversy began when trans journalist Sophie Molly discovered the card at a Sainsbury’s store in Aberdeen’s Berryden area.
Molly promptly shared an image of the product on social media platform Bluesky, labelling it as transphobic and urging the retailer to “do better”.
Emotional Rescue, the company behind the card, moved swiftly to address the backlash.
The publisher issued an apology and confirmed the design would be withdrawn from sale with immediate effect.
Speaking about this on GB News, Michelle said: “The publishers then basically removed the design from its range and, by definition, of course, it was removed from the supermarket.
“They said it was in no way their intention to cause offence to anyone in the trans community, and that they would remove the design from their range immediately.
Michelle Dewberry hit out at the Christmas card
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GB NEWS
“Well, I saw that and I just want to say this to the publishers, to the people who complained about it, and to the supermarkets that stopped stocking it: get a backbone, you pathetic individuals.
“What has happened to our society where you cannot now make a joke
“Where people who live in a make-believe world of insisting that they are actually something else have a monopoly on the phrase ‘identifying as?'”
Jennie Rutter, the firm’s creative director, told PinkNews: “It was in no way our intention to cause anyone in the trans community offence. We will remove this design from our range immediately.”
The Christmas card has been removed from Sainsbury’s
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GB NEWS
The decision to pull the product came directly from the publisher rather than the supermarket chain itself.
Sainsbury’s confirmed that the cards would subsequently be removed from its stores across the country in the days following the controversy.
“We offer a wide selection of Christmas cards and our ranges vary each year, so there’s something for everyone,” a spokesman said, adding that the company “values all customer feedback on its seasonal designs”.
Speaking to PinkNews, Molly explained: “Trans people don’t choose to identify as their gender – it’s part of who they are. Being trans is not a choice.”
She elaborated that when cisgender individuals claim to identify as objects or fictional characters, it undermines the validity of transgender experiences.
“Cis people saying they identify as something like a tomato, attack helicopter or a Grinch invalidates the lived experience of trans people,” Molly stated.
Gender critical campaigner Venice Allan described the removal as “extreme” in comments to the Telegraph.
“I think a lot of people would have liked that Christmas card,” Ms Allan said.
She suggested the card reflected how many people view the concept of identifying as transgender.
She added: “It shows you how people are laughing at this idea of identifying as transgender and social justice discourse in general.”