JK Rowling has slammed a literature festival after it put out warning notices for speakers with gender critical views.
Cheltenham Literature Festival emailed the hosts of speaking panels ahead of the event asking them to adhere to new guidance that would ‘protect the festival from complaints’.
The email stated that if a ‘controversial view’ was expressed on stage, they must reinforce that it was not the view of the festival and that ‘everyone is entitled to express an opinion’.
The bestselling author scathingly responded on X: ‘Might start a literary festival where legal beliefs can be expressed from the stage without the chairpeople wetting themselves.’
JK Rowling has slammed a literature festival after it put out warning notices for speakers with gender critical views
Cheltenham Literature Festival emailed the hosts of speaking panels ahead of the event asking them to adhere to new guidance that would ‘protect the festival from complaints’
The email (above) stated that if a controversial view was expressed on stage, they must reinforce that it was not the view of the festival and that ‘everyone is entitled to express an opinion’
Alongside the guidance it listed examples of controversial views, which included: ‘misogyny; extreme political views including on migration, sexuality, gender, and military action; potentially problematic views on race, religion, or ethnicity; homophobia, including opinions linked to religion; extreme views on abortion and female reproductive health; widely disputed conspiracy theories’.
Helen Joyce, the director of advocacy at the human rights charity Sex Matters, said: ‘Heaven forbid that a book festival should allow mention of biological reality without immediately distancing itself.
‘It is of course outrageous to compare gender-critical views to racism or conspiracy theories. But Cheltenham Literature Festival is only revealing publicly the degree of hostility routinely suffered in private by gender-critical women in literary circles.
‘The festival organisers should be pressed to explain exactly how they think gender-critical views could be considered ‘harmful’ to individuals or groups of people.’
The email read: ‘If, during any of your events, a speaker shares an opinion that could be deemed controversial, please reinforce that everyone is entitled to express an opinion, however Cheltenham Festivals [the organiser] does not endorse the views shared on stage.
‘By controversial we mean those views that may be harmful to an individual or group of people, particularly those who have been historically marginalised or oppressed.’
This move comes after the literary Hay Festival in Wales was forced to cut ties with investment management firm Baillie Gifford in light of its investments in fossil fuels and Israel.
Helen Joyce, the director of advocacy at the human rights charity Sex Matters, also called out the absurdity of the email
The bestselling author has since become a prominent campaigner to protect what she describes as women’s rights – fuelled by her own experiences of domestic abuse – in the face of pro-trans causes
Following a number of withdrawals, the festival said in a statement: ‘In light of claims raised by campaigners and intense pressure on artists to withdraw, we have taken the decision to suspend our sponsorship from Baillie Gifford.
‘Our first priority is to our audience and our artists. Above all else, we must preserve the freedom of our stages and spaces for open debate and discussion, where audiences can hear a range of perspectives.
Baillie Gifford later cancelled all of its remaining sponsorship deals with literary festivals.
The bestselling author has become a prominent campaigner to protect what she describes as women’s rights – fuelled by her own experiences of domestic abuse – in the face of pro-trans causes.
She has opposed new legislation in Scotland seeking to make it easier for trans people to change their legal gender.
She has also insisted biologically male trans women should not be allowed in women’s spaces nor to take part in women’s sports.
Cheltenham Literature Festival organisers have been contacted for comment.
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