In support of LGBT rights Virgin trains will no longer sell the Daily Mail

Virgin Trains announced earlier this week that they would no longer stock copies of the Daily Mail on their trains. In a statement they cited the paper’s stance on “immigration, LGBT rights, and unemployment” saying the paper is “not compatible” with Virgin’s “brand and beliefs”.

The Mail responded with its own statement saying “it is disgraceful that, at a time of massive customer dissatisfaction over ever-increasing rail fares, and after the taxpayer was forced to bail out Virgin’s East Coast mainline franchise – a decision strongly criticised by the Mail – that Virgin should now announce that for political reasons it is censoring the choice of newspapers it offers to passengers.”

The Mail is responsible for publishing many inflammatory and controversial articles about the LGBT community. Including calling HIV-preventative medication “lifestyle drugs”, claiming that trans inclusivity would lead to “burqas for boys”, using a trans man’s photos without permission in an article condemning trans rights, and recently outing a gay teen against his will.

A Virgin spokesperson responded: “We regularly review the products we have on sale for the customers in the shop on-board our west coast trains and after listening to feedback from our people, we decided in November 2017 that we would no longer stock copies of the Daily Mail.”