Free speech group kicked out of Brighton pub after saying children shouldn’t be taught trans ideology

A free speech group has claimed they were kicked out of a pub after saying children should not be taught trans ideology in schools.

About 50 members of Free Speech Brighton were ordered to leave the Southern Belle, a hotel and pub in the city, during an evening of speeches on Tuesday, the group claimed.

The landlord is said to have disapproved of one of the speeches regarding the teaching of gender ideology in schools and asked security guards to eject the entire group.

The pub refused to comment on the incident and the security firm, Pagoda Security, did not respond when contacted by The Telegraph.

Free Speech Brighton, a sister group of the Free Speech Union, had pre-booked a back room of the pub for the meeting, and brought a microphone and speaker for members to make speeches.

The Free Speech Union, which was founded in 2020, campaigns for freedom of speech and helps people defend their rights in court.

The first talk was by a retired teacher, who said “gender ideology” – the belief that gender is not binary and can differ from your assigned sex at birth – should not be taught to schoolchildren.

The Telegraph understands the woman, in her fifties, spoke for 15 minutes, arguing that parents should ask questions about what their children are taught in sex education, and should see the material they are given.

As she was taking questions, five security guards entered and asked the group to leave, it is claimed.

‘Demanding that we left’

“There was a rush of security guards coming into the room and demanding that we left,” group chairman Laura King said in a post on Facebook.

“I said we had just finished listening to that speech and that there were two more on completely different subjects but they said the landlord had said we had to leave.

“One of them tried to grab the speaker and drag it out of the room, which was still plugged in.”

Footage posted on social media appears to show a security guard trying to remove the microphone and speaker as members of the group shout and object.

In the video, the guard can be heard saying that anyone who refuses to leave is “trespassing”.

Ms King said the group “stood our ground for a few minutes” and insisted on finishing their drinks before leaving.

The incident prompted a furious reaction on social media, and the Free Speech Union has threatened the pub with legal action unless the landlord apologises and allows the meeting to be rebooked.

‘Perfectly lawful beliefs’

Toby Young, director of the Free Speech Union, said: “Legally, the landlord doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

“He cannot evict customers just because he disapproves of their perfectly lawful beliefs, particularly if those beliefs are protected by the Equality Act.

“From a legal point of view, it’s no different to kicking someone out because they’re black or gay. It’s unlawful discrimination, plain and simple.

“We’ve fought several similar cases on behalf of our members and, where those cases have reached a conclusion, the pub has backed down and apologised.”

Before the election, the previous Conservative government published guidance that said schools must not teach contested gender ideology.

The Government has not outlined its position, but Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, refused to rule out scrapping the ban in an interview with the BBC in June.