Supporting funding appeals
There are ongoing initiatives to fight back against those who would erode free speech, diversity of opinion, freedom of belief and conscience, the assault on safe, single-sex space, and the medicalisation of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. If you are able to, please support these funding appeals.
Even where the funding appeal has closed every case perfectly illustrates the extraordinary scale and extent of the harassment and intimidation that those holding gender-critical views have been, and continue to be subjected. Each case represents a harrowing personal ordeal intended to suppress a lawful belief. LGB Christians honour the principled determination of each victim to invoke the law, and principles of basic justice, in their absolute right to be vindicated.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
We know of no instances where those holding gender-critical views have sought to silence, dismiss, or censure those who hold contrary views. We list 26 representative cases here where individuals, organisations and public bodies have attempted to end careers, punish lawful dissent, prevent debate, and suppress free speech.
‘LGB Christians is not responsible for the content of any external site. These fundraising projects are managed by the case owner and have no link with LGB Christians. In the interests of respecting free speech a few cases are included despite conflicting with some of the values of LGB Christians. Some cases have concluded, others are ongoing. Others will be added as we become aware of them.’
Public servant sued for saying sex is binary
A colleague is taking me, a government department and the Arms-Length Body (ALB) where I work to an Employment Tribunal. I am being sued for expressing gender critical beliefs at work. The claimant is also trying to shut down the gender critical SEEN (Sex Equality and Equity Network) staff network that I co-chair.
Hounded out of my job in publishing
Ursula Doyle has worked in book publishing for over thirty years, including at Hachette UK since 2008. She founded her own imprint, Fleet, in 2016, which has published award-winning books. In 2020, Ursula published Kathleen Stock’s “Material Girls,” leading to severe backlash from colleagues, who accused her of bigotry and transphobia, often tagging her employer, Hachette, and its Pride network into social media posts. Hachette did nothing to protect her and created a hostile environment. When Fleet’s authors complained about her views, Hachette moved their books to another imprint, damaging her reputation. Ursula’s health suffered, and she resigned.
She is suing Hachette for discrimination based on her gender-critical beliefs and sex. Ursula’s case highlights the suppression of gender-critical views in publishing. She argues that Hachette’s trans-inclusion policy discriminates against women and hopes to prove its illegality. Ursula needs funds to cover legal fees and aims to fight for freedom of speech in publishing. Her lawyers work on a conditional fee agreement, keeping costs down. Ursula seeks support to challenge the culture of fear and censorship in the industry.
Victimised after whistleblowing over Civil Service impartiality
My name is Eleanor Frances and I was forced out of the Civil Service after whistleblowing about discrimination and breaches of impartiality on sex and gender issues.
Linzi Smith – Banned and spied on for my beliefs
I am Linzi Smith, a member of the Free Speech Union, an LGB advocate and a lifelong supporter of Newcastle United. I was banned from my football club and subjected to a sinister private investigation because I believe that biological sex is important and real.
Whistleblowing and Safeguarding Concerns at the Tavistock and Portman
My name is Dr Lynne Amidon and I am a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and Team Manager working for the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust. I qualified as a Child Psychotherapist in 1999 and have spent the past 24 years of my life working with abused and neglected children trying to ensure they are given the best care, protection and safeguarding whilst under the auspices of the State system.
I am raising funds to bring legal claims against the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust in the employment tribunal. Some of these legal claims may involve whistleblowing claims and discrimination. My claim centers around my belief that I have been subjected to detriments because I brought concerns to my employers about child safeguarding.
Challenging Bullying and Harassment in the Liberal Democrat Party
My employment tribunal claim argues that I was discriminated against and harassed by my employer, the Liberal Democrat MP, as well as the Liberal Democratic Party because of my gender-critical beliefs. I am also arguing that the Liberal Democrat MP discriminated against me because of my neurodivergence and victimised me because I raised this and my gender-critical beliefs during the swift process that led to my dismissal.
Chair of SEEN sued for saying ‘only women menstruate’
I’m Elspeth Duemmer Wrigley. I work for an arms-length body to a government department (part of the Civil Service) and love my job. I’m also gender critical, and chair of a governmental department SEEN (Sex Equality and Equity Network). SEEN represents those who are gender critical in our workplace.
The case has been brought by a claimant who is an employee of another arms-length body. The claimant is taking their own employer, the government department and me to court.
Among other matters, the claimant is suing the government department for allowing our departmental SEEN network to exist (on the basis that the existence of the network has the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and/or offensive environment for the claimant).
Gender critical lesbian discriminated against by local authority
Lizzy Pitt, a social worker and lesbian, firmly believes in the importance of biological sex, particularly as it relates to her attraction to women. She does not believe men can become women. When she voiced her “gender critical” views in her workplace’s LGBTQIA group, she faced a group complaint and disciplinary action aimed at silencing her, leading to her exclusion from the network. This process was deeply stressful and humiliating, making her feel like a bigot who must hide her beliefs.
Lizzy knows other colleagues share her views but are afraid to speak out. This silencing occurs across various institutions, creating a false consensus through fear and affecting the work of professionals like social workers and teachers, ultimately compromising the safeguarding of vulnerable individuals.
She is suing her employer, Cambridgeshire County Council, for harassment and discrimination. Lizzy believes employers need to see others held accountable to stop such behaviour. By supporting her case, donors contribute to a public example. Lizzy promises to consider this in any settlement decision and will avoid confidential terms unless absolutely necessary.
Help Emma Sue David Lloyd Clubs
At a meeting in April 2023 we were shown the UK Active guidance adopted by David Lloyds Leisure. This allows members to access changing rooms according to their “gendered appearance”.
Had David Lloyd Leisure made their changing room policy clear to us up-front we would never have joined. We have since taken our daughters and our business elsewhere, namely to Bannatyne Health Club. I have asked them the same question, and they do protect single-sex spaces on the basis of biological sex.
Please support me in holding David Lloyd Leisure to account for misleading their customers. I hope by taking this action we will send a strong message to anyone sacrificing women and girls right to privacy and dignity in the name of ‘Inclusivity’.
Let women play pool
We are a group of female players from across the UK and abroad, ranging from young to old with a passion for playing pool, striving to regain fairness for female-born players in the women’s category.
Almut Gadow – standing against indoctrination and for academic freedom
My name is Almut Gadow. For almost 10 years, I taught law at the Open University. I was dismissed for questioning new requirements to indoctrinate students in gender identity theory, in ways which, I felt, distorted equality law and normalised child sexual exploitation. I am bringing an employment tribunal claim arguing that I was harassed, discriminated against, and unfairly dismissed because I reject gender ideology and believe in academic freedom, and that this breached human rights protections for academic free expression.
In Defence of Academic Freedom
We are academics and the directors of the documentary feature Adult Human Female, the first UK film to explore the clash between women’s rights and trans activists promoting gender identity claims. Scheduled screenings of our film have twice been cancelled by protestors at the University of Edinburgh. On both occasions the Edinburgh branch of the Universities and College Union (UCU) denounced the film as ‘hate speech’ and ‘transphobic’. We are members of UCU and yet the union has treated us and the film as beyond the pale and unworthy of a place on campus. We are raising funds to bring an employment tribunal claim against UCU for unlawfully discriminating against us because of our protected ‘gender critical’ beliefs. UCU champions those who believe that men who identify into the opposite sex should be treated in policy and law as women. We believe that this view is harmful to women’s sex-based rights. UCU not only disagrees with our position but opposes our right to screen the film and discuss the issues.
Academic freedom for feminists
I’m an academic who has been researching the silencing, discrimination and harassment of female academics who raise questions about gender identity theory, including those that are ‘gender critical’ such as myself. As a consequence, I have been ostracised, subjected to false complaints, had my research stopped, my research data taken away, and I have lost my job. I’m raising funds because I am having to take the case to an Employment Tribunal.
Challenging Bullying and Discrimination at the Open University
I’m a PhD student, studying the history of housing in North Kensington, who’s been bullied, harassed and victimised at the Open University for my disabilities and gender critical views.
Gender critical lesbian discriminated against by local authority
I qualified as a social worker in 2007. I’m currently employed as a Social Work Manager by Cambridgeshire County Council. I am a lesbian who believes that sex is binary and immutable.
I was expelled by the Lib Dems. Help me return and reform the party!
I challenged governance issues in the Liberal Democrats. Rather than tackle the issues, a senior member complained against me. I was expelled under the very process I’d warned was unfair.
Fighting bias at the top of the Arts Council
I’m taking Arts Council England to an Employment Tribunal because I’ve been harassed for being gender critical. My hearing’s soon – please help me win this to beat the intolerance in the Arts.
Worthy of Respect in A Political Party
Six months ago, on 2 Feb 2022, I initiated a course of legal action against the Green Party of England and Wales. At the heart of this case is my unjust treatment as the Green Party national spokesperson for Policing and Domestic Safety. Following my appointment, on 7 June 2021, I was subjected to a coordinated campaign of discrimination and victimisation because of my gender critical beliefs, which are protected under s.10 of the Equality Act. This campaign of discrimination was conducted, induced or aided by members of the Party including by officers, elected representatives and committee members. A group of officers, after failing to amass enough votes to remove me at the Executive meeting of 24 June 2021, engineered a new series of processes through which to further target me. In Oct 2021, following a leadership contest triggered by the resignation of both Co-leaders, I was asked to address some concerns about “trans rights” under a newly formed Spokesperson support and monitoring group. Unknown to me this Group had an ulterior motive, quite independently of my capacity to defend my statements as a spokesperson. In the words of the joint Coordinators for Equality and Diversity:
Support Lecturers and Respect Students
I am taking BIMM Ltd to tribunal. I have been bullied, victimised and discriminated against, and punished for doing my job; caring about students and encouraging critical thought.
The Green Party must respect our sex!
I am the co chair of Green Party Women, and I am challenging the Green Party to stand up for sense, science and our sex based rights. In 2015, the Green Party of England and Wales passed a motion at Spring Conference that enshrines in our policies “………. trans men are men, trans women are women, and that non-binary identities exist and are valid……” This was not a simple equality motion; it was the beginning of the adoption of anti-women and anti-science policies promoted through gender ideology. The absolutist approach of those who advocate for those policies, is turning left-leaning parties into places where ideologues cannot be challenged.
I’m being sued by another trans rights activist
I’m a comedy writer and journalist defending myself against a bully. who targets women and gay people.
Dr David Mackereth to challenge transgender ‘compelled speech’
Dr David Mackereth, who had been an A&E doctor for 26 years, lost his job with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after refusing to identify clients by their chosen gender instead of their biological sex. David said that using ‘transgender pronouns’ went against his conscience as a doctor and Bible-believing Christian.
Help defend freedom of speech: Sanctioned by Social Work England
My name is Rachel Meade. I am a social worker who has spent my working life in the health and social care sector. I have been improperly sanctioned by Social Work England, the regulatory body for social work registration, for speaking up about women’s rights during the government’s consultation period on reform to the Gender Recognition Act. Following the sanctioning by Social Work England I was suspended from work by my employer and continue to subject to a disciplinary process and have been informed that I am at risk of losing my job, which is my vocational career. I have instructed my legal team Cole Khan Solicitors to instigate proceedings against Social Work England & my Employer, I am taking my case to an employment tribunal as both these organization’s continue to subject me to discrimination on the basis of my protected beliefs under the Equality Act 2010. I am crowdfunding to pay legal fees to take this case to an employment tribunal.
Harassed, silenced & compared to a racist for my gender critical views
My name is Jo Phoenix. I am Professor of Criminology at the Open University. I am bringing an employment tribunal claim to hold the OU to account for the public campaign of harassment that has made my working life unbearable, and I really need your support. My hope is that this case will force universities to protect female academics from the vicious bullying perpetrated by those who disagree with our beliefs on sex and gender; bullying that is designed to silence us and our research.
Defend LGB Alliance’s Charity Status
LGB Alliance is one of a dwindling number of organisations across the world that focuses exclusively on the rights of LGB people. We believe we are now the only group in the UK that defends and promotes the interests of LGB people as defined in the Equality Act (2010) – that is, on the basis of biological sex. Yet we’ve faced many threats from the day we were formed. Lies have been told, false stories circulated, and petitions have been organised against us. Our Crowdfunders were taken down, and boycotts mounted of anyone who dared to show support. The tone of claims about us has been angry and sometimes vicious. We’ve just got on with the job we were set up to do, which is to defend and promote the interests and rights of lesbians, gays and bisexuals. Now Mermaids is challenging the Charity Commission’s decision to award us charity status. We’re determined to defend what was an important breakthrough. We are therefore raising funds to pay the necessary legal fees. If Mermaids succeeds, we will have our charitable status cancelled and will no longer be able to do our job as effectively as we would like to.
Lesbian Visibility Everywhere
We are a lesbian group campaigning for lesbian visibility, lesbian rights and lesbian community.
Natalie Bird Legal Fund
In late 2018, Natalie wore a T-shirt saying “Woman: Adult Human Female” in a Lib Dem meeting. There followed an investigation and in November 2019 Natalie was “barred from holding or standing for election to any party office for 10 years” and “barred from holding or seeking to be elected to any public office on behalf of the party for a period of 10 years” because she had “disseminat(ed) transphobic material over a prolonged time”. For allegedly “speaking to a journalist”, (an alleged breach of confidentiality) she received a reprimand. Natalie has appealed these findings and denies being transphobic, instead has simply raised questions around how to find the right balance between gender based rights and sex based rights. That appeal is still pending.
Natalie seeks to instruct lawyers to explore whether there have been breaches of the internal procedures of the Liberal Democrats and whether there have been breaches of the Equality Act 2010 against her (and potentially other women in the party).
Expelled from my university course for holding gender critical views
I am a trainee therapist who was expelled from a university course over email for launching a public petition trying to safeguard therapy and counselling for vulnerable children with gender dysphoria.
Stand With Maya!
I believe that while it is right that people should be free to express their identity and trans people should never be badly treated simply for being trans, the material reality of a person’s sex cannot literally change, and in situations where sex matters, it is sex that matters. I tweeted and wrote about this in the context of the government proposals to allow people to change their legal sex through a simple self-declaration, and what this would mean for women’s rights. I was not accused of harassing any colleagues and I stated that I will use preferred pronouns out of courtesy. Nevertheless the judge ruled that my belief, in itself, failed the test of being “worthy of respect in a democratic society, compatible with human dignity and not in conflict with the fundamental rights of others” (This is part of the “Grainger Criteria” for being a protected belief). I am taking an appeal against this judgment to the Employment Appeals Tribunal. The appeal is on 27-28 April 2021. Index on Censorship is also intervening in support.
Free Speech Matters
I challenged Bath Spa University’s refusal to allow me to research people who reverse gender reassignment, fundamentally on the basis that it might attract unpleasant comments on social media.
Gillian Philip – Terminated for supporting women’s rights
Gillian Philip’s contract was terminated in 2020 for supporting women’s rights. She is bringing an Employment Tribunal claim that she should not have been discriminated against for holding and expressing gender-critical views.
The police should not secretly record us as ‘hateful’.
I am a barrister who specialises in family law. Since 2018 I have joined the discussion on line and in real life about sex, gender and how we identify. I would like to continue.
Official sources provide unlawful guidance on the 2010 Equality Act!
I am a former Cambridge City Councillor. I resigned because the council was in breach of the 2010 Equality Act. Subsequently, I set up AEA to promote the interests of women and girls.
Check out Ann Sinnott’s Crowdfunder appeal
Fight for Academic Freedom of Speech to discuss Sex and Gender
I’m Rachel Ara, an artist who has exhibited work internationally, and been artist-in-residence at the V&A. I’m know for my large scale works that intersect feminism, technology and question systems of power. I’ve been part of the LGBT scene for over 35 years. As a feminist, I believe that biological sex matters socially and politically and should be protected legally. In November 2019, as a response to hostility towards me on social media for expressing these views, Oxford Brookes University no-platformed my guest lecture. I’m asking for your help to apply for a judicial review, to bring Oxford Brookes University to account for no-platforming me; and, for having policies in place which threaten academic freedom and inhibit critical discussion of sex and gender. It’s because of the culture these policies have created that I feel intimidated at the possibility of returning to speak again at Oxford Brookes (or any other institutions that are adopting such policies).
I am suing Stonewall Equality Limited to stop them policing free speech
I am a barrister and I helped to set up a new organisation for lesbian, gay and bisexual people, the LGB Alliance, to provide an alternative to Stonewall. In retaliation, Stonewall had me investigated by my chambers, in an attempt to cost me my livelihood.
Bullying and Harassment Enabled by Bristol University
I’ve been bullied & harassed by students at the University of Bristol for my feminist principles for three years. My case seeks to ensure what is happening to me does not happen to other students.
David Bell Legal Fund
Dr David Bell is a past president of the British Psychoanalytic Society. He is currently a consultant psychiatrist in the Adult Department at the Tavistock. He is seeking legal advice regarding disciplinary proceedings which the Tavistock and Portman Trust has instituted against him in connection with his speaking and writing on the subject of Gender Dysphoria.