Asda, the Baroness and the Booker Prize

In June, Asda sent an email to customers with information on diversity that included links to a book containing an account of a child involved in oral sex with an older person from an organisation which uses slogans linked to paedophiles.

After an outcry on Twitter about the materials produced by Diversity Role Models (DRM), Baroness Nicholson, a prolific tweeter and active member of the House of Lords contacted the CEO of ASDA, Roger Burnley. This resulted in both Asda issuing an apology, and DRM removing some of what it cited as ‘misinterpreted’ materials from the packs, which Asda said was at its request.

‘Love has no age limit’, wrote the Baroness, ‘is a favourite aphorism of the quaintly rebranded MAP community. Minor Attracted People. They used to be called paedophiles.’ Noting that it could have been an unfortunate choice of phrase, she questioned how innocuous it was when coupled with DRM including references to a sex act between an adult and a child. This was referencing a book called Beyond Magenta marketed as taking an ‘honest’ look at trans teens’ lives.