An arts and culture festival in Northern Ireland has cancelled a talk by a women’s rights group over its gender-critical views.
The presentation by Women’s Rights Network Northern Ireland, ‘Respect, Rights & Reality’, was scheduled to take place on 4 August at Féile an Phobail, a large community arts festival. The organisers stated the group would no longer be able to take part as it “campaigns against rights for the Transgender community”. After issuing a legal challenge, the network reached a settlement with the festival and its event will now take place at an alternative venue.
The belief that biology determines whether a person is a man or a woman is protected under the Equality Act 2010.
Silence and intimidation
Women’s Rights Network Northern Ireland initially said they were “shocked and deeply disappointed” at the cancellation.
The group warned of “an organised online campaign against the event” that included abusive and threatening language against them and the arranged speakers. It added: “No organisation that values free speech should allow intimidation to determine which voices are heard.”
It continued: “Feile describes itself as a festival of the people, of ideas, culture and debate. We therefore have to ask whether its commitment to free speech extends only to viewpoints with which it agrees and only to some people.
“Through this event women have sought to discuss their own rights. Feile has chosen to silence the voices of the very group that makes up half the population.”
Discrimination
Sex Matters’ Maya Forstater, who is due to speak at the event, branded the cancellation ‘discrimination’. She said: “It is as unacceptable as cancelling someone for their religious or non-religious beliefs”.
Gaels For Fair Play, which is one of the groups invited to speak at the event, and supports women in Gaelic football and Camogie, called the festival’s comments “a punch in the guts to the 20,000+ women and girls” who play these sports in Northern Ireland.
“Wanting female players to have fairness, safety, privacy and dignity in their sport is not anti-rights.”
The organisation Athena Forum, which is involved in the event, wrote: “Attempts to silence discussion do not strengthen an argument. They reveal a lack of confidence that competing ideas can withstand open scrutiny. Every cancelled event, every attempt to de-platform a speaker, every campaign to intimidate organisers only reinforces how necessary these conversations have become.”
Voices sacrificed
DUP politician Peter Martin wrote on X: “Your decision would be laughable if it wasn’t so such a serious matter. The @ni_wrn represents the mainstream public view of what sex & gender actually are and yet you are de-platforming them because you’re afraid of what they might say”.
Peadar Tóibín TD commented: “Poor decision. Wrong side of human rights and history.”
Gordon Lyons MLA noted: “Féile happily takes public money to platform ‘debate’, right up until it involves views they don’t like. Women discussing their own rights shouldn’t need to pass an ideological test. Féile has shown exactly whose voices it’s willing to protect and whose it’s willing to sacrifice.”
Settlement
Following the settlement, Féile issued a statement calling the agreement a “vindication” of its actions, saying: “Féile’s decision to withdraw this event from our programme stands.”
Nevertheless, Féile agreed to meet with the Women’s Rights Network Northern Ireland to discuss future participation in the festival as part of the settlement. The Network wrote: “We hope this agreement marks the beginning of constructive engagement and greater opportunities for women’s voices and perspectives to be heard.”
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