Feminists are offensive about me, says Sturgeon after beheading row

NICOLA STURGEON has complained about feminists being “offensive” about her, after a row over calls for gendercritical women to be beheaded at a pro-trans rally.

At a press conference in Edinburgh yesterday, Scotland’s First Minister said she condemned calls to “decapitate terfs” but went on to accuse her opponents of also saying “completely unacceptable” things about her.

Terf is an acronym for “trans exclusionary radical feminist”, a term often used as a slur against women who believe biological men cannot become women.

Four SNP politicians were pictured smiling in front of a sign showing the slogan “decapitate terfs”, alongside an image of a guillotine, at a rally supporting Ms Sturgeon’s gender reforms on Saturday. Another sign nearby stated: “I eat terfs and Tories.”

The SNP politicians pictured in front of the placard – Alison Thewliss, Kirsten Oswald, Stewart Mcdonald and Kaukab Stewart – claim not to have noticed it.

Condemning the placards yesterday, Ms Sturgeon said: “The placards that I have seen in absolutely no way shape or form accord with my views and I would condemn the way in which those views were expressed and the views that were expressed there.

“And I don’t think it’s fair or credible to suggest that the elected representatives that were there in any way share or condone those views.”

But she added that she had also been subjected to abuse about her gender reforms at feminist rallies.

“There have been placards, signs, about me that were offensive and in my view completely unacceptable,” she said. “We’ve all got a responsibility to express ourselves, particularly elected representatives, in ways that we think are appropriate.”

While Ms Sturgeon did not state which slogans she was referring to, women held up banners branding her a “destroyer of women’s rights” at a rally at Holyrood in December. Other placards branded her the “grinch who stole women’s rights”.

Ms Sturgeon was later challenged over comparing “offensive” placards about her, to those that advocated violence against women.

“Anything that suggests violence is completely beyond the pale and of a different order to other offensive things,” she said. “Although I take the view that all offensive ways of expressing things should be avoided.”

The rally in Glasgow was held to protest against the UK Government’s decision to block Ms Sturgeon’s gender reforms due to fears they would harm women’s rights. The SNP’S plans would make it far easier for Scots to legally change their sex.

Police said they have launched an investigation into the offensive placards.