International Women’s Day Flags Removed After Pressure from Transgender Group
LGBTQ group says the word 'woman' is 'non inclusive' and 'transphobic'
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A local council in the UK was forced to take down flags with the word ‘woman’ ahead of International Women’s Day after pressure from a transgender and LGBTQ group who argued it was 'transphobic.'
Merseyside Council removed the flags in Liverpool from the local town halls that read “woman, wʊmən, noun, adult female."
LGBTQ activists argued the word 'woman' was a “hostile” message to people in the transgender community.
Self-described “ally of the transgender community," Dr. Adrian Harrop, tweeted the council, writing:
“Hi @seftoncouncil, the flag you’re flying at the moment is a hostile transphobic dog whistle, recognized as a symbol and brand of one of Britain’s most outspoken and visible trans-antagonists, and the leader of a transphobic hate group.”
The council responded by removing the flags, the Liverpool Echo reported.
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"We were asked to support International Women’s Day by flying a flag above Bootle and Southport Town Halls, which we did so with effect from Monday, March 2," The Council stated.
"However, we have since been made aware of a potential issue regarding the messaging on the flag and have taken them down.”
The “woman, wʊmən, noun, adult human female” message was first put up on a billboard in Liverpool in 2018 by woman's rights activist, Posie Parker.
But after a complaint from Dr. Harrop, who said the flag was a “symbol that makes transgender people feel unsafe," it was removed.
Ms. Keen-Minshull said she was not transphobic, but argued the idea that trans women are women is “preposterous.”
hi @seftoncouncil 👋🏼 the flag you’re flying at the moment is a hostile transphobic dog whistle, recognised as a symbol and brand of one of Britain’s most outspoken and visible trans-antagonists, and the leader of a transphobic hate group.pic.twitter.com/3qsSieK3T7
— Adrian Harrop (@AdrianHarrop) March 2, 2020
Three Female Students Sue to Stop Transgender Athletes From Competing In Girls’ Sports
— Neon Nettle (@NeonNettle) February 12, 2020
READ MORE: https://t.co/tDvKiDKuBH
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Meanwhile, controversy also erupted ahead of International Women’s Day in Leicester after University students voted to rebrand the day as International Womxn’s Day, so as not to offend transgender women.
Although the university said that it would not officially rename the day, it told students:
“We use the term ‘womxn’ as a more inclusive spelling of ‘women’ that includes any person who identifies as a womxn.”
But the name change was met with backlash.
Trans woman physics teacher, Debbie Hayton, said:
“A woman is not anybody who wants to be a woman. The day becomes meaningless if it is so inclusive it includes both sexes.”
A female student told The Times the name change was “insulting."
“Of course, we want to be inclusive, with women of color, disabled women, and gay women celebrated. But to change the name belittles everything women have had to fight for," she said.
The student union had recently elected Dan Orr, a transgender woman, to the university’s women’s office to represent women’s issues on campus.
The university already has a trans officer, an LGBT+ officer, and a non-binary officer on the board.
