JK Rowling brands trans activist a ‘p***k’ after women’s rights campaigners were met with abusive signs and shouts from up to 50 protesters as they arrived at feminist conference
J.K. Rowling branded a transgender activist a ‘p****’ after women’s rights campaigners were met with abusive signs and shouts from protesters outside a feminist conference.
The Harry Potter author took to social media to criticise a male activist who led abusive chants as attendees, many of whom are older women, queued to enter the Glasgow event.
Anonymous organisers behind the Glasgow Trans Rally had attempted to shut down the three-day FiLiA conference, which features women’s rights campaigners and people from around the world to discuss topics including female genital mutilation.
Speakers include SNP MP Joanna Cherry and writer Julie Bindel.
The venue Platform cancelled the Glasgow conference 12 hours before it was due to start on Friday amid a backlash online from trans activists, before solicitors got the decision reversed, citing the Equality Act.
But as attendees arrived at the venue on Friday, a group of 40-50 trans activists shouted at them and held up signs saying ‘Keep terfs out of Glasgow’ and ‘Transphobia kills and hurts all women’.
J.K. Rowling posted a video on X of one activist singing a foul-mouthed song outside the venue, and wrote: ‘Inside the venue: women from 35 different countries discuss their sex-based issues and concerns, including the harassment and intimidation they face from men. Outside the venue, this p****.’
The Harry Potter author took to social media to criticise a male activist who led abusive chants as attendees, many of whom are older women, queued to enter
Trans activists protest outside the international feminist conference Filia, at Platform in Glasgow
Women queue to enter the international feminist conference Filia at Platform in Glasgow
J.K. Rowling has been an outspoken advocate for women’s rights
A trans councillor in Glasgow for the Scottish Green Party who attended the protest said she did not want to see the conference cancelled, but wanted it to be ‘intersectional’.
Elaine Gallagher, 56, said: ‘It is a major feminist organisation. I would like for the festival to go ahead without that slant, but the position of so many anti-trans, anti-sex worker activists, the lobbying around this, is not acceptable.
‘I would like them to be intersectional. It is not trans violence which is the problem, it is male violence.
‘I would like it if they would drop the claim that trans rights are in conflict with women’s rights.’
Another Glasgow Scottish Green councillor, Holly Bruce, 29, also joined the protest and criticised ‘politically induced moral panic’.
She said: ‘There’s various workshops and sessions that are under the guise of women’s safety, that are trans exclusionary.
‘It is a really good organisation but unfortunately there are certain workshops which are trans exclusionary.
‘I’m not saying we shouldn’t be protecting women from Iran and Afghanistan.
‘For me I’m here to show solidarity with trans people and to ensure their voices are heard.
‘The reason for the rally is workshops which exclude trans people.’
Holly Bruce, Scottish Greens Councillor outside the international feminist conference Filia
Elaine Gallager, Scottish Greens Councillor said she did not want to see the conference cancelled, but wanted it to be ‘intersectional’
Conference attendee Denise Fahmy, from Leeds, who successfully took the Arts Council to employment tribunal after suffering harassment due to her gender critical beliefs, objected to one of the most vocal activists outside the conference being a man.
She tweeted: ‘Hectored by this man and his friends this morning heading into FiLiA2023 where 1500 of us will be defending women’s human rights.’
Read more: JK Rowling blasts Lisa Nandy as ‘one of the biggest reasons’ women don’t trust Labour to ‘defend their rights’ after the MP said trans rapists should be allowed to serve sentences in female-only prisons
The male activist declined to speak to the PA news agency and none of the organisers would speak to the media.
Prior to her arrival at the conference, Jordanian activist Reem Alsalem, United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, spoke about expecting to witness abuse.
She wrote: ‘Arrived in Glasgow to participate in the @FiLiA-charity conference tomorrow. I guess I’ll be witnessing in real time what i have been reading about over the last few years.
‘The concerted attempts to censor women and prevent them from meeting and discussing issues that are important to women, and… women continuing to resist as they always have!’.
A spokesman for Platform said: ‘We are fully aware of and comply with our legal obligations and responsibilities under the equality legislation. We welcome a diverse and eclectic clientele including those from the trans community on our premises. We also recognise the right to peaceful protest.
‘As a responsible employer, we always closely monitor and safeguard the safety and wellbeing of our employees, and would condemn any unlawful behaviour that could affect them.’
MailOnline has contacted FiLiA for comment.
Source: Read Full Article
