Mick Hartley

They don’t give up. Back in the summer The National Library of Scotland dropped The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht, a collection of essays by gender-critical women, from an exhibition after complaints from staff that it was “hate speech” comparable to racism. After a backlash the book was reinstated.

They’re at it again. From the Daily Mail:

Trans activists are trying to force the National Library of Scotland to ban a feminist book for the SECOND time by claiming its return has made the building an unsafe and hostile space for staff.

The Mail has seen an open letter signed by publishers, academics, as well as book festival staff demanding that the library’s board, who after a public outcry reinstated ‘The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht’, immediately ‘change course’.

It states:’ ‘We stand in solidarity with queer and trans staff at the National Library of Scotland, who in recent months have been subject to harassment and bigotry in their workplace.

‘We call upon the Library urgently to change course, to make a strong public commitment to ensuring that all staff and visitors are able to access the Library without fear.

‘We condemn the series of decisions by the board and senior leadership that have led to a hostile environment for queer, trans, and allied staff of and visitors to the library.’

If members of staff at a library want to ban a book, you wonder if they’re in the right job. But the trans lobby has always operated on the no-debate principle.

A report last month concluded that the National Library should take disciplinary action against the staff who used ‘threatening and inappropriate’ behaviour to get the book withdrawn.

Co-editor of the book Lucy Hunter Blackburn said: “This letter is an outrageous and unwarranted attack on a major cultural institution.

‘It makes a number of bizarre and unsubstantiated claims about the effect of including the book in the exhibition and unfounded and insulting comments about the book and its writers more generally.

‘This is no way for Scotland’s cultural life to be conducted.

‘Stifle the voices of people whose views you disagree with, or disapprove of, and you are left with a society where only a tiny, well-connected elite thrive.

‘The signatories of this letter, who claim to be drawn from the ‘academic, heritage, arts, literary and cultural sectors’, should be the very people arguing against censorship. Instead, they try to justify it by claiming “inclusivity” for themselves.’

The letter has been handed to senior management before a board meeting on Thursday who are expected to discuss the fallout from the first book ban.

The whistleblower who came forward said an explanation for why this was happening was that staff criticised in the report for their conduct may be trying to create a climate in which the board will be nervous of ordering senior management to discipline them.

We can reveal that several of those who have put their names to the letter backing staff have had or are in receipt of public money from the troubled arts quango Creative Scotland, who are funded by the Scottish Government, overseen by Culture Secretary Angus Robertson.