[Niamh.]

Feminist writer Julie Bindel wins landmark legal case against council that cancelled event she was due to speak at due to her views on transgender issues
Julie Bindel has won her legal case yesterday against Nottingham City Council
It comes after the council 'deplatformed' the feminist writers planned speech

The event was cancelled because of Ms Bindel's 'views on transgender rights'
J.K. Rowling said the outcome was an 'important win for freedom of speech'

JK Rowling has congratulated feminist writer Julie Bindel after she won her legal case against a council who cancelled an event she was due to speak at because her views 'fly in the face' of their position on trans rights.

The radical feminist and lesbian activist, who co-founded the law reform group Justice for Women, took legal action against Nottingham council after its chiefs 'deplatformed' her just a day before her talk.

Ms Bindel had been due to speak about 'feminist activism to end male violence' in Nottingham at Aspley Library.

She claimed that she only found out the 90-minute talk had been cancelled as she was travelling up to the city from London.

Harry Potter author Rowling, who has come under fire this week after she blasted celebrities for backing the trans children's charity Mermaids, said the court case outcome was a 'win for freedom of speech'.



Reacting to Ms Bindel's landmark case on Twitter, the Scottish author said: 'An important win for freedom of speech and a reminder that however much some would like to censor and silence feminist groups and speakers, the latter have the law on their side.'

In June, the council said it decided to cancel the talk in June because of 'the speaker's views on transgender rights'.

The event had been organised by Nottingham Women for Change, which describes itself as 'women only activism, education and empowerment group'.

It said the event had been organised to 'discuss feminism and domestic violence due to pressure from men's rights activists.'

In a statement at the time the council said: 'Nottingham is an inclusive city and as a council we support out LGBT community and have committed to supporting trans rights as human rights through Stonewall.'

Following Friday's verdict Nottingham City Council said that it 'now accepts that its decision to cancel the event was procedurally unlawful.

A spokesperson added: 'Nottingham City Council apologises to Ms Bindel and Nottingham Women for Change for cancelling the event in this way and for the inconvenience caused as a result of this decision.

'Nottingham city council has agreed that, if Nottingham Women for Change seeks to make a booking at any Nottingham city council venue by way of a fully completed booking form, the council will make a fresh decision in response to such request upon a lawful basis.'

Writing on her blog, Ms Bindel said: 'They have admitted that cancelling my talk and banning me and my hosts from the library was illegal, and have been made to apologise.'

After the speech was cancelled, the feminist writer decided to give the speech outside the library where it had been planned to take place.

She spoke to dozens of listeners, and despite the presence of trans rights activists protesting against her.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...t-council.html

[arista]

[The event was cancelled because of
Ms Bindel's 'views on transgender rights'
J.K. Rowling said the outcome was an
'important win for freedom of speech']


Yes, Good Victory for Common Sense
Free Speech

[Oliver_W]

Good for her!

[LeatherTrumpet]

In a statement at the time the council said: 'Nottingham is an inclusive city and as a
council we support out LGBT community and have committed to supporting trans rights as
human rights through Stonewall.'

----------

says it all

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

In a statement at the time the council said: 'Nottingham is an inclusive city and as a
council we support out LGBT community and have committed to supporting trans rights as
human rights through Stonewall.'

----------

says it all

Stonewall keep advising it's "champions" to break the law. Same thing with Garden Court Chambers and the Alison Bailey case

[hijaxers]

Correct outcome , a win for Free Speech . Take note all you councils .

[Mystic Mock]

It's not a good year for Nottingham.

Losing this court case, plus Nottingham Forest being bottom of the Premier League table, Notts County being in Non-League Football & Jake Bugg not having a big hit in awhile.

It's nearly as rough as the City of Birmingham.

[Mystic Mock]

Out of interest are her views really extreme?

Because I could understand the ban if she's got a "death to all Trans people" mentality as imo extreme Politics needs to be not encouraged.

But if she's just caring about women's rights then that's a harsh move from the Nottingham City Council.

[Oliver_W]

More people who get deplatformed should take their would-be hosts to court tbh