Woman kicked out of Labour Christmas party for her views on transgender people
A woman was asked to leave a Christmas event held by the Labour Party after complaints about her anti-trans views.
Venice Allan, a 43-year-old from South London, was attending a Labour Women’s Network event when she was asked to leave as she was making other attendees feel unsafe.
Allan called her removal “an appalling, orwellian betrayal of women” and quickly took to twitter to discuss her the event.
Posting a photo of herself and Labour MP Yvette Cooper, she said: “So I was asked to leave the ‘feminist’ Xmas party because my very presence made certain people feel unsafe.”
One of the people in attendance at the party was 19-year-old Lily Madigan, who has recently faced a wave of abuse including five separate articles in The Times newspaper.
Earlier this month, Madigan begged the media and anti-trans activists to stop targeting her after she was elected women’s officer for her local Labour Party in Rochester and Strood.
Allan reportedly claimed that her removal from the party was unfair, as she was only hoping to discuss changes to policy on the ways transgender people change their legal gender.
The government unveiled plans this summer to change the Gender Recognition Act, crucially allowing for transgender people to self-define as trans, rather than requiring a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria before being able to apply for gender recognition.
The current need to be assessed and diagnosed by clinicians is seen as an intrusive requirement by the trans community. However, many people are opposed to these changes.
Allan has been a prominent figure in the backlash to amending the Act and has been incredibly vocal with her anti-trans stance.
“Sure, I made some people feel uncomfortable with my known views on transgenderism.”
Multiple posts on Allan’s twitter and facebook are derogotory towards transgender people, often misgendering them and claiming that the existence of trans people is misogynistic.
“I stand with all women…. even the handmaidens who betray us, the trans men who betray themselves.”
One post shows a photo of trans woman Paris Lees with text saying: “this is what misogyny looks like.”
Lily Madigan has responded to Allan’s removal from the event, tweeting an example of the bigotry levelled against the 19-year-old by Allan on her facebook page.
Madigan said: “Venice Allan was rightly removed from the @LabourWomensNet event yesterday. I didn’t ask for her removal but I found her presence uncomfortable in light of her personal attacks on me.”
Allan’s response to the hateful post misgenders Madigan as well as demonstrating her belief that the 19-year-old will ‘fake a suicide’
Allan said: “I seriously this dickhead is going to fake a suicide soon, I think we should campaign officially through the Labour Party about him but save our meany memes for Izzard and Clitoris.”
Allan has responded to this specific meme and comments on twitter, saying that there was no hate in the post as she wanted to direct the transphobic hatred towards other trans women and Eddie Izzard, all of whom she misgenders.
She said: “Where is the hate crime? Suggested the radfems laid off the kid? Focused on the big boys like @heatherisone @RozKaveney @parislees @eddieizzard”
In light of Allen’s removal, a spokesperson for the event released a statement, saying: “It is important that all Labour Women’s Network events are a safe and welcoming space for all those in attendance.
“Sadly, following a number of complaints, we had no choice but to politely ask an individual to leave.”
