Munroe Bergdorf Biography

Munroe Bergdorf (born 11 September 1987) is a British model and former DJ. Bergdorf was the first transgender model in the UK for L'Oral although after a racial row she was dropped by L'Oral. Bergdorf is curently employed by Illamasqua. In February 2018, she was appointed as an LGBT adviser to the British Labour Party, although she resigned the following month citing tabloid pressure.

Beginnings and early life

Bergdorf was born on 11 September 1987 into a middle-class family in Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire, where she grew up. Bergdorf is of mixed race origin born to an Afro-Jamaican father and a white English mother. Bergdorf attended Bishop's Stortford High School, an all-boys school. Bergdorf describes her adolescence as growing up as a "very effeminate boy". Later she studied English at the University of Brighton, describing herself as genderqueer while at University.

After university, Bergdorf worked for three years in fashion PR. At the age of 24 Bergdorf began gender transitioning; and was the subject of an episode of London Live show Drag Queens of London.

Modelling

Around the same time that she was transitioning, she took up DJing, establishing a club night called Pussy Palace. She got involved in modelling, stating that she was inspired by the lack of representation of trans people and "non-whites" in the industry. Stating: "I definitely set out to empower girls like me, privileged, middle class, and well-off". Her first modelling job was for a Lebanese couture company. In 2014, the London Evening Standard referred to her as "a cornerstone of London's trans scene." She told the newspaper that she was "so vocal" on trans issues because she sees it as "the new frontier", an issue being brought into public consciousness through the work of trans women like Laverne Cox and Carmen Carrera.

She came to public attention in August 2017 when she was employed as the first transgender model to front a L'Oral campaign in the UK. In August 2017, Bergdorf was announced as one of 27 models taking part in L'Oral UK's "True Match" campaign. This was the first time that the company's UK branch had employed an openly transgender model to front one of its campaigns. On her social media, she stated: "Thank you L"?Oral Paris for giving me this platform. I hope it reaches another little eight-year-old trans girl and makes her feel a little more hopeful and a little less scared about her future, than what was installed in me when I was her age." Later Bergdorf went on to accuse white people as an entire group of being bought up racist stating "Honestly I don't have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people." After these comments, L'Oral fired her from its campaign.

Racial controversy

Bergdorf attracted further public attention following an article in The Daily Mail highlighting Facebook comments that she had made about white people. These comments, which included the claim that all white people were guilty of "racial violence" and that the white race was "the most violent and oppressive force of nature on Earth", generated accusations that she was racist against white people. In response to her comments, On 1 September, 2017, L'Oral dropped her from its campaign. They issued a statement that the company "supports diversity and tolerance towards all people irrespective of their race, background, gender and religion" and that Bergdorf's comments about white people were "at odds with those values". Facebook removed her posts from their website, regarding them as being in contravention to its rules against hate speech. Bergdorf said she also faced online harassment, much of it of a racist and transphobic nature. Other commentators argued that The Daily Mail had quoted her out of context, and that her wider point about white supremacy and white privilege in Western societies was valid and needed wider dissemination. Bergdorf defended her position arguing that she was angry after the scenes in the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and wanted to explain that racism was systemic, and that being racist was not just about attacking people, but failing to take action against the system. She added: "I don't see how calling out the roots of racism, somehow makes you a racist", calling the controversy the "worst time of my life".

After controversy

In September 2017, the UK-based Illamasqua, hired Bergdorf as the face of its Beauty Spotlight campaign, which focuses on gender fluidity. In a statement, the company described Bergdorf as embodying "diversity and individuality; she is not scared to be truly herself." It added that it did not "stand or accept any form of racism, but we also believe Munroe"?s comments have been edited out of context by a certain media title (who we won't bother naming) without telling a true story". Criticism of this appointment was made, with the appointment being described as insular and ignorant of the issues of racism. With claims the appointment and statement by the company made out that racism could not be leveled against white people, and portrayed black people as victims and helpless.

Also in September 2017, Bergdorf gave a verbal performance of Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise" for a short film directed by Bec Evans and Laura Kirwan-Ashman.

In February 2018, she was appointed as an LGBT adviser to the British Labour Party, which she later resigned from in March 2018.