Assaulted and refused service at a pub for supporting women’s rights
Assaulted and refused service at a pub for supporting women’s rights
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Latest: Dec. 9, 2024
Latest news from today's Judge's Review
Here is the news report from today's Court Review before His Honour Judge Duncan in Belfast County Court (copyright Alan Erwin, Laganside Media):
Father Ted creator Graham Linehan has been identif…
We are raising funds to take a pub to court because it refused to serve us due to our legally protected beliefs in biological sex.
Help us support women’s rights and free speech in Northern Ireland.
We are a group of 23 people – female, male, lesbian, gay, straight, young and old, from Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and the Republic of Ireland – who were refused service in Robinson’s Bar, Belfast, because of our legally-protected beliefs about women’s rights.
What happened to us is unlawful. It is discrimination. And it sets a dangerous precedent.
As well as being refused service, an older gay man who was part of our group was violently assaulted by a member of staff. It was a terrifying situation to be in – to be targeted for our beliefs, and subject to violence.
We are crowdfunding to pay the legal fees to take this case to court in Belfast, and uphold the principle that it is illegal to discriminate against people for holding gender critical beliefs and views that support the rights of women, girls and LGB (Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual) people.
Specifically, we are taking the owners of Robinson’s Bar, Belfast, to court to seek redress, an apology, and a promise of staff training, so that this doesn’t happen again.
No woman or man should ever be discriminated against because they believe in women’s sex-based rights and that biological sex is real, immutable, and important in policy and in law.
Help us to:
- Seek justice;
- Right this wrong, and
- Send a message to all service providers that women’s rights and LGB rights can’t be trampled on in this way.
Our story
We were peaceful, friendly, and upbeat. Some of us had children and older relatives with us, and others had ordered lunch.
However, the atmosphere turned threatening when bar staff began refusing to serve people based on the messages carried by their T-shirts and lapel badges – slogans such as “Women won’t wheesht” (“Women won’t be quiet”) and “Woman: Adult Human Female” or because they had scarves, bags or badges in the colours of the Suffragette flag.
One lesbian member of our group asked if she was refused service because she was gay. Although she received no answer, we were explicitly told – and this is captured on audio and video – that we weren’t being served because our T–shirts and badges demonstrated support of women’s rights and our gender critical beliefs. Bar staff said they wouldn’t serve “Terfs”, which stands for Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist, and is now widely regarded as a woman-hating, ageist, slur.
As we were preparing to leave, a barman physically assaulted by headbutting an older gay, gender-critical, man, leaving him with lacerations and bruising to his face. Police were called and the barman was cautioned. Knowing that this was not a safe place for any of us, and scared about what would happen next, we all left as quickly as possible.
If you can, please pledge your support and help us send a message to all service providers across Northern Ireland that it is illegal to discriminate against anyone on the basis of their legally protected beliefs. If it happened to us, it could happen to you next. Every single donation, no matter how small, is sincerely appreciated.
*Any monies received that exceed our fundraising target will be donated to other court cases and tribunals in the UK that support gender-critical women fighting to uphold their legal rights.
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Simon Chambers
Dec. 9, 2024
Latest news from today's Judge's Review
Here is the news report from today's Court Review before His Honour Judge Duncan in Belfast County Court (copyright Alan Erwin, Laganside Media):
Father Ted creator Graham Linehan has been identified as a lead case in claims for discrimination brought against a Belfast pub, it emerged today.
The comedy writer is among 23 women’s right campaigners suing the owners of Robinson’s Bar over disputed allegations they were unlawfully refused service because of gender critical beliefs.
Their lawyers want all of the claims consolidated for potential determinations by a single judge.
Belfast County Court was told today that eight of the group have now been proposed as test cases in a first phase of lawsuits related to incidents on April 16, 2023.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs described their actions as “seminal”.
They are claiming direct discrimination on the basis of their views on gender in the lawsuit mounted against Wine Inns Ltd over the encounter in Robinson’s.
Mr Linehan and other campaigners had just taken part in a Let Women Speak rally headed by controversial activist Kellie-Jay Keen.
Following the demonstration they were said to have spent up to 90 minutes in the city centre bar.
With some of them wearing clothing with logos in support of women’s rights at the time, they contend that further service was then denied.
One of the campaigners is also seeking £20,000 in damages, alleging that he was assaulted and left permanently scarred.
Two others who say they witnessed what happened to him are claiming up to £8,000 compensation.
Separate cases are also being advanced on behalf of the other 20 members of the group.
All of them allege that they were discriminated against and refused service because of their beliefs.
The eight lead cases have been proposed to represent the full spectrum of events, according to court papers.
Mr Linehan is described as a prominent advocate of gender-critical beliefs who engaged with staff in the pub and other members of the group.
“Given his public profile, his inclusion also exemplifies the broader societal implications of such alleged conduct,” the legal documents contend.
Feminist academic Dr Julia Long has been included as another test case to assess claims of discrimination based solely on the perception of her philosophical beliefs.
Wine Inns strenuously denies any discrimination or less favourable treatment of the plaintiffs.
The alleged assault on one of the campaigners is also denied, amid counter claims that his behaviour had created an apprehension among members of staff.
A further part of the defence involves assertions that even if there was any difference in treatment, it had nothing to do with the group’s political opinion.
In court today counsel for the defendant requested further details from the group before consent to the lead cases can be confirmed.
With a trial hearing still to be listed, the actions were adjourned until February next year.
Speaking later, the plaintiff’s' solicitor, Simon Chambers, said: “My clients are content that this seminal case on free speech and women’s rights in Northern Ireland continues to make steady progress towards a hearing date, and the opportunity to have their right to express their legitimate opinions endorsed by the courts.”
___ . ___
As the above report exemplifies, there is a considerable amount of legal work required to prepare this important case for Hearing.
We intend to utilise cutting-edge video technology to present to the Court a visual presentation of what transpired, exhibiting the various video evidence as the events unfolded.
Thank you all for your continued kind support and encouragement.
Simon Chambers
Simon Chambers
June 5, 2024
First review date
The claims are currently progressing through the court system and there will be a Review of the cases before the County Court Judge in Belfast on 16th September 2024.
We are busy preparing matters in advance of this Review.
Simon Chambers
Jan. 26, 2024
Media splash
Our cause has truly captured the public and media attention in Northern Ireland and will be highlighted in the Free Speech Union Speakeasy Event at Titanic Hotel, Belfast this evening. Simon has now been invited to join the panel to discuss the case.
Tickets for tonight (Friday 26th January) are still available at:
You can read our great press coverage at:
Free Speech Union Belfast event debates hate crime concerns | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
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