The UK’s first transgender ‘hate crime’ case has been dismissed by a judge who said: “There is no case and never was a case.”
Miranda Yardley, who underwent gender reassignment surgery ten years ago, was accused of harassing a transgender rights activist on Twitter.
Campaigners have said the judge’s decision to dismiss the case is a victory for free speech.
Self-identification
Helen Islan, who works for notorious trans-activist group Mermaids, accused Yardley of committing a hate crime by publicly voicing that people cannot change sex.
Despite changing his name to Miranda and under going surgery himself, Yardley still recognises that he is a man.
Their argument began in an online conversation about whether individuals can choose if they want to be male or female.
When Yardley disagreed – and also revealed Islan’s identity – the trans-activist went to the police claiming the post made her feel “stressed and sick”. Essex police decided Yardley’s response was a hate crime.
‘Political ideology’
Concerns were raised about the trans lobby’s efforts to erode women’s rights by allowing men identifying as female to enter women-only spaces.
And the accused said that the police were wrongly using their powers to “enforce a political ideology”.
Judge Woollard asked Islan: “Where is the evidence, taking into account the need for free speech? You have to show a course of conduct and at the moment we have one tweet.”
He dismissed the case after a one-day hearing saying that there was no evidence of a hate crime or harassment.
‘Transphobic’
A critic of Islan said: “Those on Helen’s side of debate often claim any alternative opinion to theirs is transphobic”.
Comedian Graham Linehan, who openly opposes the trans movement, added: “This is about an ideology and everyone who has tried to speak up against it is shut down and the activists are using every means they can to do this, including the courts.”