By Sam Merriman, Social Affairs Correspondent Published: 17:30 EDT, 18 September 2024 | Updated: 18:17 EDT, 18 September 2024
Angry free speech campaigners hit out last night after allegedly being ousted from a pub meeting over a discussion about gender ideology in schools.According to members of the Free Speech Union, private security guards ejected them from the Brighton pub because the landlord disapproved of their belief in biological sex.They also claimed security staff stopped them entering another pub in an ‘authoritarian’ attack on freedom of speech.Toby Young, director of the Free Speech Union (FSU), said it was ‘no different to kicking someone out because they’re black or gay’ and threatened the pub with legal action.About 50 members of Free Speech Brighton, a splinter group of the Free Speech Union, had gathered in the pub on Tuesday night. Director of the Free Speech Union Toby Young said it was ‘no different to kicking someone out because they’re black or gay’. He has threatened the pub with legal action As a female member of Free Speech Brighton took questions about her talk on gender ideology in schools, five security guards allegedly asked the group to leaveThe first talk was given by a retired teacher who said ‘gender ideology’ should not be taught to schoolchildren.But as the woman in her 50s took questions, five security guards allegedly asked the group to leave.Footage shows one telling the activists there had been a complaint ‘from the management’.Those attending the meeting said they had pre-booked a private portion of the Southern Belle pub in Brighton and were being ‘quiet and well-behaved’.One attendee was journalist Julie Burchill.She said that they were kicked out ‘because we talked about gender reality’.Last night, Mr Young said the landlord couldn’t evict customers ‘just because he disapproves of their perfectly lawful beliefs’. Members of Free Speech Brighton were at The Southern Belle in Brighton on Tuesday night’It’s no different to kicking someone out because they’re black or gay’, he said.’It’s unlawful discrimination.’The Southern Belle declined to comment, while the private security firm did not respond to a request for comment.
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Fury as free speech group ‘kicked out’ of Brighton pub over a discussion about gender ideology in schools