JK Rowling took to social media to criticise a male activist who led abusive chants as attendees, many of whom were older women, queued to enter.
Friday 13 October 2023 17:42, UK
Trans activists protest outside the international feminist conference Filia, at Platform in Glasgow. Anonymous organisers behind Glasgow Trans Rally had attempted to shut down the international conference, with speakers travelling from as far away as Iran and Afghanistan, to speak about topics including female genital mutilation.
Women's rights campaigners from Iran and Afghanistan were among those met with protest as they arrived at a feminist conference in Glasgow.
Anonymous organisers behind the Glasgow Trans Rally had attempted to shut down the three-day FiLiA conference, which features people from around the world to discuss topics including female genital mutilation.
Speakers including SNP MP Joanna Cherry and writer Julie Bindel are part of the line-up.
The venue Platform cancelled the conference 12 hours before it was due to start on Friday amid a backlash online. But solicitors citing the Equality Act were able to reverse that decision.
As attendees arrived at the venue on Friday, a group of 40-50 protesters held up signs saying "keep terfs out of Glasgow" and "transphobia kills and hurts all women".
JK Rowling took to social media to criticise a male activist who led abusive chants as attendees, many of whom were older women, queued to enter.
A trans councillor in Glasgow for the Scottish Greens who attended the protest said she did not want to see the conference cancelled.
Elaine Gallagher, Scottish Greens Councillor outside the international feminist conference Filia at Platform in Glasgow, which was cancelled by trans activists before lawyers overturned the decision. Anonymous organisers behind Glasgow Trans Rally had attempted to shut down the international conference, with speakers travelling from as far away as Iran and Afghanistan, to speak about topics including female genital mutilation.
Elaine Gallagher, 56, said: "It is a major feminist organisation. I would like for the festival to go ahead without that slant, but the position of so many anti-trans, anti-sex worker activists, the lobbying around this, is not acceptable.
"I would like them to be intersectional. It is not trans violence which is the problem, it is male violence.
"I would like it if they would drop the claim that trans rights are in conflict with women's rights."
Another Glasgow Green councillor, Holly Bruce, 29, also joined the protest and criticised "politically induced moral panic". Holly Bruce, Scottish Greens Councillor outside the international feminist conference Filia at Platform in Glasgow, which was cancelled by trans activists before lawyers overturned the decision. Anonymous organisers behind Glasgow Trans Rally had attempted to shut down the international conference, with speakers travelling from as far away as Iran and Afghanistan, to speak about topics including female genital mutilation.
She said: "There's various workshops and sessions that are under the guise of women's safety, that are trans exclusionary.
"It is a really good organisation but unfortunately there are certain workshops which are trans exclusionary.
"I'm not saying we shouldn't be protecting women from Iran and Afghanistan.
"For me I'm here to show solidarity with trans people and to ensure their voices are heard," she added.
"The reason for the rally is workshops which exclude trans people."
Conference attendee Denise Fahmy, from Leeds, who successfully took the Arts Council to an employment tribunal after suffering harassment due to her gender critical beliefs, objected to one of the most vocal activists outside the conference being a man.
She posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Hectored by this man and his friends this morning heading into #FiLiA2023 where 1,500 of us will be defending women's human rights."
The male activist declined to speak and none of the organisers would speak to the media.
A spokesman for Platform said: "We are fully aware of and comply with our legal obligations and responsibilities under the equality legislation.
"We welcome a diverse and eclectic clientele including those from the trans community on our premises. We also recognise the right to peaceful protest.
"As a responsible employer, we always closely monitor and safeguard the safety and wellbeing of our employees, and would condemn any unlawful behaviour that could affect them."
FiLiA has been contacted for comment.