Oxfam has been forced to backtrack after portraying those who uphold the reality of biological sex as evil-eyed villains in a cartoon for ‘Pride Month’.
A scene claiming those who identify as LGBT are “preyed on by hate groups” shows three people staring aggressively at rainbow figures, the woman wearing a ‘TERF’ badge. ‘TERF’ stands for Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist, a slur commonly used for women who say a male cannot become female.
The charity came under fire for the cartoon woman’s resemblance to author JK Rowling – an outspoken critic of transgender ideology. Following the backlash, it has now removed the three people from the scene and apologised for “the offense it caused”.
‘Demonise’
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Conservative MP Miriam Cates said: “It’s deeply concerning that Oxfam is using its resources – money donated by the public for the alleviation of poverty in the developing world – to demonise individuals who campaign for the safety and rights of women.”
The Prime Minister supported the depiction’s removal. His official spokesman stated: “I understand they’ve deleted the video after the concerns were raised. Obviously, that seems like the right approach.”
Professor Kathleen Stock OBE was among many who highlighted the so-called TERF’s resemblance to author JK Rowling. The Harry Potter author is one of the most high-profile opponents of attempts to promote the idea that men can become women.
Oxfam claims it had “no intention” for the scene “to have portrayed any particular person or people” and backed “an individual’s rights to hold their philosophical beliefs”.
Free to disagree
Last month, trans activists failed to silence the gender-critical views of Professor Stock at an Oxford Union event.
Intervening ahead of the talk at the historic debating society, Rishi Sunak said that a ‘vocal few’ had no right to shut down ‘free debate in a free society’.
Hundreds of activists sought to derail the event, after Oxford University’s LGBTQ+ society urged the debating society to ‘no-platform’ the senior academic, branding her “transphobic” for upholding the reality of biological sex.
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