Outrage as Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney wins Attitude magazine’s Woman of the Year

Gay lifestyle magazine Attitude is facing backlash after naming transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney as its ‘Woman of the Year.’

The US TikTok star accepted the title this week at the Virgin Atlantic-sponsored awards bash in London.

But critics slammed the decision, accusing the awards of ‘gaslighting women everywhere’ with prominent feminist campaigner Maya Forstater calling it an ‘insult.’

In her acceptance speech Mulvaney said being honoured with the gong ‘from a queer 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 change as I only publicly came out online 560 days ago – and some people don’t see me as a woman at all.’

But speaking to MailOnline, Maya Forstater said: ‘It is an insult to women. It is hard to imagine something more misogynist than to pronounce that no woman has achieved anything more significant this year through their work than a man putting on a dress and having cosmetic surgery.’ 

Posting an image of Attitude’s magazine cover with Mulvaney on the front, Piers Morgan wrote on X: ‘Another ludicrous slap in the face to actual women.’ 

TV personality Charly Arnolt also tweeted: ‘There are nearly 4B 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 and said she looked ‘stunning’ on Attitude magazine’s front cover.  

In her acceptance speech, Mulvany added: ‘Here’s what I’ve realised: No matter how hard I try or what I wear or what I say or what surgeries I get I will never reach an acceptable version of womanhood by those hateful people standards. 

‘But as long as I have the queer community that sees me for my truth, I’m going to be OK. 

‘And I’m equally grateful that this title is happening in the UK and not just because I am deeply attracted to your accents but I because I came to London on holiday this summer after months of feeling isolated and when I arrived I didn’t feel that baggage that I was carrying 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 another girl walking around in a Burberry trench on her way to a West End musical. 

‘I romantised 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’re with – and if I’m surrounded by people like you, this still can be one of my safe spaces.’

She went on to say that ‘we’re all in this together’ and thanked a list of people including her mother, her stylists, her life coach, her agent and her best friend.