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A VILLAGE Post Office has been slammed over a controversial Facebook post.
On Tuesday evening, Steeple Claydon Post Office, which is near Bicester, shared an image of the new postage stamps which celebrate Pride.
The brightly coloured stamps were illustrated by artist Sofie Birkin and feature phrases like ‘lesbians unite’, ‘glad to be gay’, ‘love always wins’.
The post’s caption read: “Not sure what Royal Mail are thinking of here but a new set of stamps to be released on 1st July 2022. ‘Pride’, they will be available at Steeple Claydon Post Office if you want them.”
The post has now been removed.
People in the local area were quick to call out the post for being controversial, many questioning the phrase ‘not sure what the Royal Mail were thinking’.
Some customers even went as far to say they would not use Steeple Claydon Post Office again and reported the branch directly to the Post Office headquarters.
Following the negative feedback, the person behind the post turned the comments off and said: “People are reacting to my comment as if it was a homophobic comment. All I was saying is that I (not Steeple Claydon Post Office) don’t think sexuality is a suitable subject for a set of stamps.”
Speaking to this paper, Christina Riley, who is the director of Bicester Pride, said she felt personally attacked by the post and it left her feeling ‘upset and shocked’.
She explained that, as a trans person, the post seemingly shows attitudes which don’t align with those that allies of the LGBTQ+ community might have.
Many in the community felt the post promoted ‘casual homophobia’
She explained: “This year is a particularly special year. It serves as an education and so to these people who are objecting: this is why they have done it
“These people need to read more about why these stamps have been issued and the history of Pride, Stonewall and Section 28.
“This is why it is really important that the stamps are on sale.”
The set of eight new stamps being issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK’s first Pride rally. Picture: Royal Mail/PA
Eight stamps have been released by the Post Office to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK’s first Pride Rally, which marched from Trafalgar Square To Hyde Park in London in July 1972.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “We are making contact with the Postmaster that operates Steeple Claydon Post Office to understand who posted the content on Facebook and to inform them that it’s our view the content should be amended or removed.
“The vast majority of Post Offices are run by independent Postmasters who manage their own social media pages for their branch and retail business.”
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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.
You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry
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