Gay lifestyle magazine Attitude is facing backlash after transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney was named ‘Woman of the Year’.
The American TikTok star, who documented her transition on the video-sharing platform last year, took home the title at the Virgin Atlantic-sponsored awards ceremony in London this week.
But critics slammed the decision, accusing the awards of ‘shaming women everywhere’, with prominent feminist campaigner Maya Forstater calling it an ‘insult’.
In her acceptance speech, Mulvaney said the gong “from a foreign publication” “means so much more to me.”
She said: ‘Some see me as the woman of the year, some see me as the woman of a year and some are changing because I only came out publicly online 560 days ago – and some people don’t see me as a woman at all.’
But speaking to MailOnline, Maya Forstater said: ‘It’s an insult to women. It’s hard to imagine anything more misogynistic than saying that no woman this year has accomplished anything more important through her work than a man putting on a dress and having cosmetic surgery.”
Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney has won Attitude magazine’s Woman of the Year award
The influencer – who came out as a transgender woman during the COVID-19 pandemic – posed in a dress with a billowing ruffled skirt
At one point, the social media personality switched from the silver dress to a sheer black dress
Winner: The TikTok star later posed in the winner’s room
In her acceptance speech, Mulvaney said the gong “from a foreign publication” “means so much more to me.”
Piers Morgan posted an image of the cover of Attitude magazine with Mulvaney on the front and wrote on X: “Another ridiculous slap in the face to real women.”
TV personality Charly Arnolt also tweeted: ‘There are almost 4 billion women in the world, and of course Dylan Mulvaney wins ‘Woman of the Year’.
TalkTV presenter and NHS GP Dr Renee Hoenderkamp added: ‘This is just gaslighting women everywhere.’
Others congratulated Mulvaney, saying she looked “stunning” on the cover of Attitude magazine.
American TikTok star Mulvaney was given the title this week after spending much of the first half of the year embroiled in controversy over her Bud Light partnership, which cost the beer company $400 million in sales.
In her acceptance speech, Mulvany added, “Here’s what I’ve realized: No matter how hard I try or what I wear or what I say or what surgeries I undergo, I will never achieve an acceptable version of femininity by the standards of those hateful people.
“But as long as I have a gay community that sees me for my truth, I’ll be fine.
‘And I am equally grateful that this title is taking place in Britain and not only because I am deeply attracted to your accents, but also because I came to London on holiday this summer after months of isolation, and when I arrived , I didn’t. I felt that baggage that I carried in the US and I didn’t feel like the trans beer girl.
“I didn’t walk into rooms and think, ‘Does that person hate me? I was just a girl walking around a Burberry trench on the way to a West End musical.
“I’ve romanticized this country as a safe place and as dangerous as it is for trans people right now, maybe it’s less about where we are and more about who we are – and when I’m surrounded by people like you, this still can be one of my safe places.’
She went on to say that “we are all in this together” and thanked a list of people including her mother, her stylists, her life coach, her agent and her best friend.
“Some see me as the woman of the year, some see me as the woman of a year and some change because I only came publicly online 560 days ago.”
The dramatic dress also featured a stunning mesh bodice with jewels and black straps
Some branded the decision ‘ridiculous’ and an ‘insult to women’, but others congratulated the winner and said she looked ‘stunning’ on the cover of Attitude magazine.
The event at the Roundhouse in Camden, London, is being held in aid of the Attitude Magazine Foundation, which raises money for LGBT causes.
It was hosted by Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden and comedian Alan Carr on Wednesday.
Holden said: “Since being crowned Honorary Gay in 2017, it has always been a dream of mine to host the Attitude Awards, and I couldn’t think of a better person to host alongside my dear friend Alan Carr.
‘It is so important now to stand together as one and embrace this beautifully diverse world we live in and accept everyone for who they are.’
Carr said: “It’s been a mixed year for our LGBTQIA+ family, there has been tremendous progress and yet some really harrowing setbacks have set us back six, which only makes the Attitude Awards even more important and vital.”
Mulvaney teamed up with Bud Light in April as part of their March Madness campaign and was gifted a can of light beer with her face on it – sparking outrage
Her Bud Light ad led to company layoffs and the stripping of the long-held title of America’s favorite beer.
Mulvaney partnered with Bud Light in April for their March Madness NCAA campaign and was sent a personalized can as part of the promotion.
The setback caused Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, to lose $400 million in sales — even as their overall U.S. sales fell 10.5 percent compared to the previous year.
Mulvaney had posted herself drinking Bud Light with the hashtag #budlightpartner, before joking that she didn’t know what sport she was promoting.
Since the fiasco, Anheuser-Busch has tried to hold on to its reputation as an all-American company, without distancing itself from the LGBTQ groups it has long supported.
The brand has neither apologized for nor stepped up efforts for the campaign, with CEO Brendan Whitworth making an attempt at diplomacy in the few interviews he has agreed to since the fallout began.
Transgender influencer Mulvaney also won the gong for Breakthrough Creator at the 2023 Streamy Awards in August, using her a celebratory speech as a chance to call out transphobia – before promising to toast her win with a beer.
