head-above-clouds-for-you:

knittedwizard:

Hi folx,

Please share this open letter to Bradford Literature Festival with all your friends and networks. Their programming of Jenni Murray and Germaine Greer is UNACCEPTABLE and we are calling for them to be removed.
Text of the letter is below.

——-

Dear Bradford Literature Festival,

As we’re sure you’re already aware, Jenni Murray and Germaine Greer espouse hateful and harmful views on trans women, denying them their identity and their very existence. It saddens us that Bradford Literature Festival is going against what has previously been diverse and inclusive programming to platform speakers who would make people feel attacked and unwelcome. While Greer and Murray may not be speaking about trans issues specifically, they are talking about women and feminism, their brand of feminism is not intersectional and excludes trans people. By talking about women and feminism they are talking about trans people, the fact that they think trans people and feminism are separate is part of the problem. BLF says it does it’s best to create a safe and welcoming space for debate, but trans lives are not a debate.

BLF says it does it’s best to champion freedom of speech, but the freedom to speak and the credibility of a high-profile platform are not the same. The ‘right to free speech’ does not mean the ‘right to be listened to’. If you remove Murray and Greer from the programme, you would be saying that transphobic views do not have a place in your festival. If you do not remove them, you would be saying that your pride is more important than trans people’s safety and dignity. Trans lives matter. Trans lives are not a debate.

Have you spoken to Murray and Greer themselves about how their views on trans women might create a barrier or issues for people? And how their views pose a danger to trans people’s safety and human rights? If not, and BLF have already foreseen these issue, then why have the conversations not taken place?

BLF cannot claim to champion the LGBT+ community while platforming speakers who deny the most marginalised part of that community their lives. If you continue and allow them to speak then you are alienating the very community you say you support. Programming speakers like Juno Dawson and events like the Polari LGBT Literary Salon alongside Murray and Greer does not show support and only continues to frame this as a debate. It is not. Trans lives are not a debate.

We implore you not to allow them to speak at BLF as it is contrary to everything the festival has worked so hard to achieve and only sends the message that you do not support the trans community. We hope that you will take this with the utmost seriousness and give this careful consideration.

Signed by:

Ryan Morgana
Trans Mission
TransLeeds
Non-Binary Action
Yorkshire Mesmac
None of Us is Yet a Robot
Marlborough Pub & Theatre
East Street Arts
Wharf Chambers
Live Art Bistro

If you can repost this/ spread the message please do! <3