Council is using a civil law sledgehammer to try to silence me for my Gender Critical views
CASE UPDATE - 15/2/24
My case is becoming more legally complex and will take longer than I hoped - and this means that I have to raise the target to £15,000, please
The Hearing for Directions on Tues 14th February was delayed one hour, opened and immediately adjourned because Westminster Magistrates Court, one of the largest in London, could not establish a video link to my barrister Sarah Vine KC. She was waiting on the line for over an hour. The Hearing will resume on Wed 21st Feb at 10am. Obviously I am glad that this is a short delay.
Sarah and I had previously discussed her Note to the Court about the issues and the kinds of evidence which we will request from the other side. She sent this to the Council the same day.
When I got home from the adjourned hearing I found a Note from the Council's barrister objecting and calling our requests a "fishing exercise", which is a legal delaying tactic. Both sides are calling for the case to be heard by a District Judge rather than lay magistrates as the legal issues are more becoming complex.
Fortunately I was really cheered by a dozen supporters mainly from Womens Rights Network who stayed with me all the time, plus a journalist and photographer from the Daily Mail. Thank you all for your emotional and financial support.
For many years I have pinned posters on my front door supporting the NHS and our local hospital when it was threatened with closure. Starting 3 years ago I added published materials from the websites of Transgender Trend, Sex Matters, Women's Rights Network and a poster explaining why a Ban on Conversion Therapy for Trans would increase existing harms to adolescent girls confused about their sex or “gender”. I displayed a photo of two young girls with scars from a double mastectomy which is circulating on the internet and has been re-tweeted thousand of times. The photo is in the public domain.
The local police have looked at these Gender Critical materials and told me that my materials do not infringe free speech laws and are not “hate crime”.
But the Labour Council, which is a “Stonewall Diversity Champion”, refuses to accept the Police's view. In March 2023 they sent me a Warning letter and in June they sent me a Notice letter with a vaguely worded accusation: “Your Behaviour: Your actions towards sexual orientation and displaying pictures that do not belong to you is a breach of freedom of speech and hate speech” (sic). In the Notice: “[The Council] is satisfied that your persistent and continuing conduct is having a detrimental effect on the public and the LGBT Community”. I contest all of this. I do not want to be silenced for raising the very important issue of sex and "gender".
The penalty for not removing my posters is a criminal conviction for failing to obey the Notice and a possible fine up to £2,500. I am having to pay a lawyer to defend me.
“Stonewalled”
I have been trying to raise these matters with my local Councillors, the Leader of the Council and my local MP (all Labour) for the last 3 years and they have refused to engage AT ALL. I have no other avenue left but to display gender critical materials from published and reputable sources.
Thank you. You can follow this campaign on twitter here : https://twitter.com/STranswidows
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Comments section
Marcia Shame on them. They don't want people to see the truth.
Kenneth Keep up the fight against this insanity! Glad to help you out - good luck!
JP Good luck!
Neil Good luck you are protecting all of us
Rachel Stay strong you are in the right x
Jill Stick to your guns! I applaud your courage.
Chris You are right and they are SO DEAD WRONG! Please do not buckle under their immoral pressure. Thank you for resisting and fighting back.
John Keep up the good fight
Tam So disappointed in this bullying council, they’ve lost their common sense. You’re brave to stand up to them. Good luck x
Virginia Thank you for your tenacity and bravery in carrying this forward. ¡ Venceremos!
Louise Huge respect for the determined stance you have been taking. Believe that UK Law will ultimately vindicate you like it has Jo Phoenix, Maya Forstater etc
Ali Thank you for supporting women and girls. I am right behind you! In sisterhood & solidarity.
Carol Go get 'em
Niall I am donating and sincerely hop you win your case against your ridiculous, bullying council.
Rosemary When the Stonewalled Council say your “conduct is having a detrimental effect on the public and the LGBT Community” do they mean the Postie? You have much support. I’ll be surprised if they don’t drop this before court proceedings begin. Stay strong. X
Alison Well done for standing up to these thought control bullies!
Nicholas Best of luck on 14 February. This gay man is totally behind you in highlighting the appalling consequences of so-called “gender affirming care”. The council are wrongly using their community protection powers and I hope your KC persuades the court this is the case.
Carmel I use to wok for LBH&F - they should be ashamed of themselves. Get StonewallUK out of local government.
Carol Good luck at beating these bullies.
Jane Thank you for your courage in fighting this totalitarian, misogynistic ideology xxx
Mary-Jane Thank you for doing this. Good luck!
Campaign update 15/02/24
Sarah and I had previously discussed her Note to the Court about the issues and the kinds of evidence which we will request from the other side. She sent this to the Council the same day. When I got home from the adjourned hearing I found a Note from the Council's barrister objecting and calling our requests a "fishing exercise", which is a legal delaying tactic. Both sides are calling for the case to be heard by a District Judge rather than lay magistrates as the legal issues are more becoming complex.
I am delighted that the criminal barrister Sarah Vine KC of Doughty Street Chambers is offering her services to me Pro-Bono (free). Ms Vine has been instructed in some of the most high-profile cases of recent times and is a formidable Silk in formidable Chambers.
The race is on to raise the money which I need, please. Due to the kind offer from Ms Vine the amount needed is £5000.
The latest CPN (the second one - the first one was withdrawn) alleges that I "continue to use my front door to display posters, graphic images and material that are, or could be construed to be, distressing or transphobic" [sic]. I dispute that the photo of two young girls with blue and pink hair and terrible mastectomy scars is distressing or transphobic. Shocking, yes. But for a reason: to provide an image (just one image) of the reality of "gender affirming" surgery. This image is in the public domain and has been used many times by bloggers.
If we can't speak about the issue we will never expose the harms of "Gender Identity" ideology.
Thank you.
On 31st August Hammersmith Council withdrew its first "Community Protection Notice" and on the same day served me with a NEW "Community Protection Warning" alleging more narrowly that the photo of the two confused girls with mastectomy scars is "distressing or transphobic". I do not dispute that the photo is disturbing, but it is (1) in the public domain, and (2) it conveys the truth of so-called "gender affirming care" - which is of course butchery of mentally ill young people. The public deserves to see the truth, and my "gender critical" views are legal and I must be allowed to express them. The local police force continues to have no problem with this photo and there have been no reports about it to the Police.
On 6th October the Council issued a second "Community Protection Notice" in the same terms as the Warning. I am electing to go to Court (Magistrates Court) this time to get the issues out into the open. My lawyer has applied for a hearing, where I will be represented by a barrister. That will be expensive. Thank you very much for any support you can give.
Funds provided so generously by donors via Democracy Three contributed over £3,600 to my defence the first time around.Gary, Orpington