Free speech group 'kicked out' of Brighton pub during speeches about gender ideology in schools

19 September 2024, 08:56

A free speech group have alleged they were kicked out of a Brighton pub after saying children should not be taught trans ideology in schools.

The group, Free Speech Brighton, were ordered to leave the Southern Belle hotel and pub on Tuesday night.

The group had booked a back from of the pub for a meeting, and had brought a microphone and speaker so that members could deliver their speeches.

According to the Telegraph, the first talk was from a retired teacher who said that ‘gender ideology’ - the belief that gender is not binary and can differ from your assigned sex at birth - should not be taught at school.

She spoke for about 15 minutes, but during a Q&A after the speech, security turned up and asked them to leave.

Group chairman Laura King wrote on Facebook: “There was a rush of security guards coming into the room and demanding that we left.

““I said we had just finished listening to that speech and that there were two more on completely different subjects but they said the landlord had said we had to leave.

“One of them tried to grab the speaker and drag it out of the room, which was still plugged in.”

The group posted on Twitter: "Last night I attended a local Free Speech Union meeting for the first time.

"About 50 orderly civilised people sat in the back room of The Southern Belle pub. It started well- A hushed room listened to a measured and informative 15min speech about safeguarding children against pervasive gender ideology but, just as she was taking questions, two security guards told us the manager wanted us to leave immediately because there’d been ‘a complaint’.

"We left, shocked and angry, but this incident only underlines our concern that Free Speech is under grave threat when you can get kicked out of a pub - once a place for healthy banter- for saying the ‘wrong thing’.

"I wonder what other topics are verboten here? I’m 58 and have never been asked to leave a venue before. Is this 1939 or 1984? - It certainly isn’t modernity, and we mustn’t allow it to become our future."

Video footage posted online shows a security guard appearing to try and move the microphone and the speaker.

The guard can be heard telling the group that anyone refusing to leave would be “trespassing.”

The Free Speech Union has threatened the pub with legal action unless the landlord apologises.

The Southern Belle has declined to comment. The private security firm did not respond.