Trans mob cancels feminist film on campus
Fury as freedom of speech ‘shut down’ by demo at top university
PRO-TRANS protesters shut down the screening of a women’s rights documentary after blocking access to the venue.
The screening of Adult Human Female, billed as a critique of ‘trans ideology’ and ‘a defence of women’s rights’, was due to take place at Edinburgh University on Wednesday night.
However, it was cancelled after about 200 protesters prevented anyone from getting inside the building. A similar protest stopped another attempt at a screening last December.
Adult Human Female explores the impact of gender self-identification on women-only spaces, from prisons to healthcare to sport to lesbian dating sites.
A protester told The Times the film had ‘no academic merit’ and was propaganda for transphobic and bigoted groups, saying: ‘This film has no place on a campus – anything that tars a community and demonises them should not be endorsed. Their argument is that trans women are the problem and are men in disguise and that is a lie. Free speech does not extend to the intolerant and hateful.’
Conservative MSP Tess White hit out at the protest after she tried to attend the screening. She wrote: ‘For the second time, women have been shut out of Edinburgh University for trying to discuss their rights.
It’s disgraceful. They might have shut us out, but we won’t let them shut down our freedom of speech.’
Nationalist MP Joanna Cherry, who raised the row in the Commons yesterday, tweeted: ‘This is a disgrace. Women [are] being prevented from talking about their rights at my alma mater.’ Gender campaigner Lucy
Hunter Blackburn said: ‘These are students and staff... who are trying to drive women underground for disagreeing with them.’
One of the organisers of the screening said: ‘I’m bitterly disappointed and angry that it’s come to this.’
A university spokesman yesterday said that it was committed to upholding both freedom of expression and academic freedom and added: ‘We are disappointed that this event has again not been able to go ahead.’
Commenting on the safety of female students on campus, the spokesman said: ‘We do not tolerate sexual violence within our community.’