Mick Hartley

Screenings of the film Adult Human Female, "a documentary in defence of women's rights", have been met by violent demonstrations from trans activists – notably in Edinburgh last month, where a bunch of masked men managed to prevent a showing.

Jean Calder writes in the Brighton and Hove News about her experience:

The other day I attended a screening in Brighton of the critically acclaimed film Adult Human Female. It explores the challenges posed to women’s rights by sexist trans activism, including the way that gender “self-identification” can be used by abusive males to target women and children.

It’s an inspiring though depressing film, made from a left-wing perspective, and therefore likely to be irritating to Conservatives. Nonetheless, I would recommend anyone who is interested in gender ideology and who doesn’t buy into the absurd “no debate” mantra to watch and discuss it, whatever their political background….

Women in this city, as elsewhere in the UK, have for several years been unable to freely discuss this issue without fear of sanction, harassment and threats. Elsewhere in the country, screenings of this film have regularly been sabotaged….

The Brighton Women’s Liberation Collective which organised the viewing, arranges regular discussion meetings it calls “Sisters Salon”, all with tight security.

The women involved have been in the forefront of defending women’s services in this city, some of them for decades. At least one of them was central to the city’s struggle against Section 28.

These brave women have spoken out about the real risks posed by misogynist gender ideology. In so doing they have faced threats and intimidation.

Many have experienced male violence and are distressed at the loss of the city’s female-only support services and spaces, which were once some of the best in the country.

Others are parents who, having spent years challenging sex role stereotypes, now confront schools teaching their children that if they are uncomfortable with traditional sex roles they may be in the “wrong body” and not “really” a boy or girl at all.

Some are lesbians, outraged at being accused of transphobia when they assert their right to same-sex attraction and to reject sexual advances by abusive trans-identified males.

These women have become used to having meetings cancelled at the last moment, opponents kicking at doors, shouting sexist insults, punching glass windows and attempting to drown out debate, in some cases with police standing by.

The women are not violent and have threatened nobody. Yet all too often they have been treated as aggressors by local police, who have explained their shameful failure to protect them from hate-fuelled attacks by describing their role as to “keep the sides apart”, cynically suggesting equality of violence and threatening behaviour.

It's extraordinary how accepted this level of blatant violent misogyny has now become, all cloaked in the familiar language of "transphobia", by masked men claiming to be progressive.

The film reminds us that the majority of people who identify as trans women remain fully intact males, who are heavier, larger and stronger than the average woman. Many are autogynephiliacs with an ongoing sexual attraction to females.

As local women wearily point out, men who challenge “gender ideology” are rarely attacked or threatened. Women are the target.

And of course there are threats:

The letter, apparently widely distributed to possible venues across the city to try to prevent the screening, alleges that the film is “transphobic” (it isn’t), names the Brighton Women’s Liberation Collective, then accuses groups showing the film of “calling for violence against the trans community” (something of which I saw no evidence).

It states that any venue showing the film will be “complicit in this violence” which, it says, is “real and widespread” against “trans women especially” (the film offers evidence to challenge this emotive and often-repeated assertion).

The letter concludes: “Should you choose to go ahead with the screening, be assured that we will make it known far and wide that your venue has knowingly helped to promote transphobic ideas and therefore been complicit in violence against the LGBT community.

“In a place like Brighton I’m sure you can imagine this will not go down well. We hope that you take this strongly into account and that no further action is required.” (my emphasis)

Chilling.

This is the city, remember, where philosophy professor Kathleen Stock was hounded out of Sussex University for her gender critical views, and, not coincidentally, a city represented by Caroline Lucas, the country's only Green Party MP.