Labour Councillor Punished For Supporting J.K. Rowling In Trans Row

A Labour councillor for Brighton and Hove has been punished simply for supporting those opposing ‘radical’ trans views on sex and gender. 

Labour Council leader Bella Sankey has today removed Cllr Alison Thomson from her role focusing on regeneration, because she retweeted social media posts supporting Germain Greer and author J.K. Rowling.

Her removal comes after a flood of complaints accusing her of being ‘anti-trans’ for defending biological facts.

The following social media activity was submitted in complaints against Thomson as ‘evidence’ of her ‘guilt’:

Thomson had reposted a tweet with the comment “Go @germainegreer88” containing an image of Greer and a quote comparing gender reassignment surgery with her doctor giving her long ears, liver spots and a brown coat to become a cocker spaniel.

In September 2022, Thomson retweeted a post that said: “All #TERFs (trans exclusionary radical feminists) believe in is that women are female and women deserve protections. That’s it #transwomenareMEN.”

On the same day she retweeted a post that said: “The thing is, we are not debating whether trans people deserve rights. What we are debating is whether trans people’s rights should override the existing hard-won sex-based rights and protections of women and girls.”

Last October she retweeted a post that said: “If transwomen truly wanted to use women’s spaces for safety … and not the women in those spaces for validation … they wouldn’t reject a third space compromise.”

In January of this year, she retweeted a post that said: “JKR (JK Rowling) also supports everyone having the same rights, regardless of their gender identity. India Willoughby demands a raft of privileges for males who believe that they are women. Privileges that would destroy female rights.”

In February, she retweeted a post that said: “If you disagree with Sturgeon, Gilruth, Willoughby and the trans lobby you’re deemed racist, transphobic and a bigot. No one is saying trans people can’t live their best life. We’re saying a man cannot change sex and should not be entitled to enter female-only spaces.”

Perhaps partly politically motivated due to sharing the same ward with Thomson, Green Party councillor Chloë Goldsmith is among those who have called for her resignation.

Cllr Chloe Smith of the Green Party has called for Thomson, whom she shares the ward with, to resign.

Councillor Goldsmith said: “I’m incredibly disappointed to see these awful tweets from my Labour counterpart in Regency.

“They show an utter lack of respect for – and even disgust towards – trans people, many of whom will be residents in her ward.

“Brighton and Hove has one of the largest proportions of trans people in the country, with census data showing that Regency has an even higher number.

“Every single person in this city deserves to feel able to contact their councillor for help and have their identity respected.”

The social media posts pre-date Thomson’s election as a councillor for Regency ward, an area of Brighton and Hove that Thomson now awkwardly shares with Councillor Goldsmith.

Thomson won the seat by just one vote.

Responding to the complaints and outcry from the trans community and their supporters this week, Thomson said: “I apologise unreservedly for endorsing these social media posts which contain anti-trans sentiments.

“I recognise that they are offensive to the transgender community and I am deeply sorry for the hurt caused by this.

“I am committed to undergoing training to better understand the lived experiences of transgender people and with the aim of becoming a good trans ally.”