A talk featuring two journalists talking about trans issues has been cancelled after an LGBTQ+ group threatened the organisers with a boycott.
Helen Lewis, who writes for The Atlantic, and former Newsnight reporter Hannah Barnes, who has written a book about the Tavistock gender clinic, were due to talk at the Grand Central in January.
It was one of a series of talks organised by Brighton Skeptics, part of a UK network of organisations who host talks in pubs about a range of thought-provoking and sometimes controversial topics.
Helen Lewis tweeted yesterday: “Sorry to say that despite selling out immediately, this event has now been cancelled.
“The organiser offered all kinds of compromises — a trans voice on the panel, a separate rebuttal event, even a statement disassociating the Skeptic Society from our views — but it wasn’t enough.”
She added: “The fact it’s a sceptics group does make it objectively funny as well as depressing.”
The organiser posted on its website today: “The event was cancelled due to an open letter from a group within the LGBTQ+ community of Brighton that was to be used to put pressure on pub to cancel the event.
“The LGBTQ+ community never reached out to me personally to discuss the event, why I was hosting or to discuss their concerns about it. They instead reached out to the Skeptics network, and previous guests, who in turn contacted me.
“Those in the network have been honest and supportive, as well as communicating with those who sought to shut us down, in a bid to help me reach a compromise. But it became clear there was no compromise to be had when I myself reached out to the individuals involved with the open letter.
“I took the final decision to cancel the event – for better or worse. Not Fullers or the Skeptic network – me! I feel nothing I say here will appease those that sought to silence this event, or those that are angry that I cancelled, but I felt it my duty to at least clear up some facts so others are not implicated or accused.
“I feel that the more we shout and insult each other from the fringes we allow the centre ground to be flooded by those from the more radical ends of the spectrum, and the more hateful, unproductive and harmful this all becomes.
“There are many that choose to weaponise this debate in support of other, harmful ideologies. Again, many would argue I have facilitated that by attempting to put on this event, and many others would also argue that I allowed that by cancelling it. Damned if you Do and Damned if you Don’t. Bigot or Coward? Transphobe or Hypocrite?
“I’m certainly not a victim here or any kind of martyr, but I’m also not a bigot, a coward, a transphobe or a hypocrite either. I make mistakes along the way and I try my best to learn and grow.”
No doubt this will be framed as another incidence of “cancel culture” but if you truly believe in free speech then you must support the right of the LGBTQ+ group to write an open letter and propose a boycott, just as much as you support the right of Ms Lewis to put on the event in the first place. Anyone claiming that people do not have the right to write an open letter opposing an event, or to protest an event that they object to, is not truly committed to free speech.
Would you describe the LBGTQ+ group as proponents of free speech?
They are expressing their free speech by writing an open letter. Threatening to boycott an event is not, as far as I can estimate, incompatible with free speech. Saying “I think this event is a bad idea” is very much expressing your free speech.
You’re sugar coating as you are sympathetic to their ideology. As clearly stated above, the ‘open letter’ sought to cancel the event, boycott the umbrella group and any attempts to make the event more palatable were ignored – only cancellation would do. I wonder if, say, a far right group sought to cancel a presentation on the positives of immigration you would support them?
There is no ‘ideology’. We are People. We deserve to live without bigots calling for our rights to be taken from us under the guise of ‘free speech’.
So if I support free speech I should support a group’s right to shut down free speech? Um… that’s the absolute definition of cancel culture. Everyone’s right to protest must be protected at all costs, but seeking to cancel a legitimate event, silence opposing voices and shut down debate is not protest. It’s fascism.
Ok, here’s a question. Is someone saying “I don’t think this event should happen” free speech or not free speech? And if it is not free speech, how can you have free speech whilst not allowing someone to say something?
The protesters, it seems, were protesting AGAINST free speech. And they succeeded.
Free speech is about the free exchange and discussion of ideas in society. One side here is dead against allowing their ideas to be discussed in public.
Having organised similar events in Brighton I’m really aware at the bullying and misrepresentation required to bully those with legitimate questions and concerns. This event must go ahead. When we can’t take a respectful evidence based approach we end up with poor policy which impacts us all- especially the most marginalised. This is true of the lack of single sex rape crisis services in Brighton as it is of the poor policies in place in our schools and the Tavistock clinic. I personally thank him for taking this on, and feel I have some insight into the misrepresentations and bullying he will have been subject to. Thank you.
What are you “legitimate concerns”? Because I think you might be justifying bigotry by calling your views legitimate. Rape affects both men and women, both cisgender and transgender. The rapists are almost always cisgender men, yet you’re proposing excluding transgender women because of the actions of cisgender men?
Your genuine concerns revolve around your belief that you have the right to discriminate against other people because you simply find trans people disgusting. Calling for “single sex” rape services is a call to turn away people who are in actual need of services away from help – it’s not that you want a single service – you want every service provider to stop helping trans people – just as we see with the debate on sports – when it is extended to Chess we see it was never about fairness – just about exclusion . Legitimate concerns are nothing but moral panic and these events do nothing but stir up hate
The amount of intolerance and bigotry that hides behind the mantra of free speech these days is almost as staggering as the amount of air time and publicity these bigots actually get
Bigots, bullies and hypocrites.
You’ll be book burning next.
If you don’t agree then join the debate and talk it down.
Right now the straight majority do nothing but laugh at the whole bunch of you – what ever flavor…
This ‘community’ once again showing itself to be an intolerant and dogmatic cult.
I can sympathize with the difficult situation of the organizer but unless people have the backbone to say “No” to those hostile to free speech it dies.
Unfortunately these bullying tactics have worked. Many women driven out of jobs for expressing legitimate views/concerns. Making out any challenge or questions are bigotry, anti trans, terfs etc. at huge individual cost and people are scared of speaking out and hosting events as a result. I see people in this thread are now focusing on individual journalists reporting on this, while the Argus won’t open comments on trans news, playing into activists hands- presenting only one biased side. Another hidden ‘open letter’ that no one will see or be given the opportunity to challenge in an open way. These activists have had way too much power and have abused it to the cost of our CYP health and wellbeing, women’s issues, as well as free speech.
Since bigotry and prejudice arise from ignorance you’d think the trans community would be over the moon to welcome individuals who wanted to discuss trans, rather than trying to shut them down.
Don’t they want to be understood?
If not, why not?
Surely such intolerance will just lead to bigotry and prejudice and demonstrates mirroring behaviours.
We don’t need divide and rule. We need to understand the world.
To discuss “trans” – what is that supposed to mean – trans isn’t a thing – we are people just like you .
This “event” was designed to spread fear and ignorance- not combat it – there were no attempts at compromise you cannot unsay hate speach. These groups try and play the innocent victim- while stoking fear and ignorance in a climate where crimes against trans people sky rocket as people feel hate is justified.
Next week is the start of the trial of the murder of Brianna Ghey – This week was the trans day of remembrance- the timing of this event was purposefully provocative .
Just let people be – we all have real problems- why create more ?
Excuse me but if a cause has activists it also needs discussions, particularly if it has a presence in schools influencing the under age. Nothing should be above or beneath open discussion.
Please don’t assume that *an* LGBT group represents the views of all LGBT people and most definitely not all lesbians and gay men.
Why not? Are you standing with the organisers and ensuring the debate goes ahead?
And likewise, let’s not pretend that an LGB group represents anything other than a small minority of the community.
Would anyone else have been interested in the contents of the talk, or indeed of the complaints? Maybe knowing who was calling for the boycott, or why that would be of any relevance to an already sold-out event?
This barely qualifies as reporting, B&HN. Do better.
Shamfull post. Any such ban is bad. If you dont agree with a debate then talk is down at the event – not shut it down.
Would be helpful if the Open Letter could be published or linked – would mean the people above pilling on it and the trans community would know what they are objecting to. (Maybe they don’t want to know?)
Had a look on the Skeptics website – they don’t publish the Open Letter either which is odd for a supposedly science based free speech gang. (or maybe it isn’t…)
The open letter hasn’t, as far as I’m aware, been published anywhere. The statement from Brighton Skeptics, which doesn’t name the group which approached them, says it “was to be used”.
The Skeptics don’t – quite understandably, if frustratingly – want to comment any further.
Cool. Don’t you have an issue with running a piece likely to incite bigotry and hate based on a letter you haven’t seen and don’t know its content or whether it even exists? Not sure you should have run this story tbh…
Is there any evidence that this letter ever existed?
Really saddened the event was canceled. If you don’t like it don’t go. It’s a really sorry state of affairs when debate is shutdown because it disagrees with some views, no one has to listen if they do not want.
“If you don’t like it don’t go.”
That’s what a boycott is
And a boycott is fine but to lean on the venue to get it canceled because you do not like some of the views expressed is wrong. It actually does your cause no good.
Worth remembering that so far there’s no evidence the ‘open letter’ existed outside the organiser’s imagination.
Meanwhile children and young people (often with significant (unaddressed) mental health issues)) are facing life long irreversible consequences while voices raising concern and evidence based are silenced/ignored. A small number of trans activists have succeeded in silencing free speech and evidence based debate. We are witnessing a health and care scandal and the decimation of hard one (but still inadequate) women’s rights. If we allow this to become the norm- what next?
There are subtle ways to deal with this.
Beautifully demonstrated in the link at the Woman’s International Pool Finals in Wales this year.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/female-pool-player-forfeits-final-facing-trans-woman-opponent
So they decided to cancel their own sold-out event because some people wrote an open letter saying they wouldn’t attend?
People have the right to not go to your speech if they don’t want to. This is an obvious attempt to fan the flames of transphobia. I hope Fuller’s are able to recover any of their investment in this.
Ah I see it’s not the first time these journalists have pulled this stunt…
Just let women speak!