An organisation has said it is "shocked" that Féile an Phobail has cancelled an event it was due to hold during the festival. Women’s Rights Network Northern Ireland (WRN NI) said the decision meant Féile had "chosen to silence the voices of the very group that makes up half the population".
The event, Respect, Rights and Reality, was due to be held in August. Féile an Phobail said it had informed WRN NI that it was withdrawing the event after becoming aware of its content.
"Féile an Phobail was unaware from the initial submission that this event would promote campaigns against rights for the transgender community,"
Féile an Phobail, also known as the West Belfast Festival, is Ireland’s biggest community arts festival and has been running for nearly 40 years. It is due to run from 25 July until 9 August.
The WRN NI event, organised with the Sex Matters organisation, was due to take place on 4 August and include a range of speakers. Sex Matters was founded by Maya Forstater, who lost her job after saying that people cannot change their biological sex.
She was later awarded compensation by an employment tribunal which ruled that Forstater experienced
"direct discrimination"related to her beliefs.
What did Féile an Phobail say?
In its statement, Féile an Phobail said it
"takes pride in standing up for those who are marginalised and attacked"and that it
"fully support[s] the right of the transgender community to be treated with equality and respect". The festival said:
"On that basis, Féile an Phobail has informed the organiser of this event that we are withdrawing their event."
How has WRN NI responded?
In a statement to NI, Women’s Rights Network Northern Ireland said it had made clear to féile that the event was to be a
"discussion on women’s sex-based rights". The group said Féile’s decision had followed
"an organised online campaign against the event".
It added that the campaign included
"misogynistic, abusive and, in our view, threatening rhetoric directed at women associated with it". WRN NI also questioned the festival’s approach to debate, saying:
"Féile describes itself as a festival of the people, of ideas, culture and debate.
We therefore have to ask whether its commitment to free speech extends only to viewpoints with which it agrees and only to some people."
What is Féile an Phobail?
Féile an Phobail, also known as the West Belfast Festival, is Ireland’s biggest community arts festival and has been running for nearly 40 years. The festival is scheduled to take place from 25 July until 9 August.
The controversy concerns an event planned for 4 August, during a festival that has long positioned itself as a forum for culture and debate. Both sides have set out sharply differing views on the purpose of the event and the reasons for its cancellation.
Key Facts
- Women’s Rights Network Northern Ireland said it was "shocked" by the cancellation.
- The event Respect, Rights and Reality was due to be held on 4 August.
- Féile an Phobail runs from 25 July until 9 August.
- Féile said it withdrew the event after saying it was unaware it would promote campaigns against rights for the transgender community.
- WRN NI said the decision followed an organised online campaign against the event.
