Man tries to evict protestors from International Women's Day event for saying ‘no woman has a penis'
A council worker attempted to evict a group from an International Women's Day event after they distributed leaflets declaring 'no woman has a penis'.
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon in Darlington as women gathered at a council-run venue to celebrate the fight for female equality and liberation.
Representatives from Let Women Speak, a gender-critical pressure group, attended the function but were told they were not welcome and were even warned the police would be called if they did not leave.
The leaflets stated that women do not have penises and men do not have vaginas, and claimed transitioning children is 'profound child abuse'.
Let Women Speak was just one of a number of groups that had gathered at the venue to mark International Women's Day.
It was being hosted at a venue called Number Forty Skinnergate, described as a 'safe space for everyone on a night out in Darlington town centre'.
But the delegates from the group, which describes itself as a global women's rights movement, were told that they were not welcome at the event because the leaflets breached the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
The PSED is a law that requires public bodies to promote equality and reduce discrimination.
This is a man objecting to Let Women Speak leaflets, that @LWSNorthEast put out, and using them to throw women out of an International Women's Day event.
Yet again the genius of Let Women Speak reveals the insanity and misogyny of men.
It's what we do best. pic.twitter.com/npua1sv1TQ
— Kellie-Jay Keen (@ThePosieParker) March 9, 2025
A video posted on social media shows a dispute between two members of the group and Andrew Allison, the former Darlington borough council community resilience officer, who now runs the council-funded venue.
In the exchange he is heard telling the activists: 'This building is a safe space for all on Friday and Saturday nights, [the] Public Sector Equality Duty requires us to foster good relations between all groups and this isn't doing that I'm afraid, so I am going to have to ask you to leave.'
One of the delegates countered that the slogans on the leaflet were 'statements of fact' or 'objective reality'.
But Mr Allison said while he was not disputing anything on the leaflet, his role was to ensure the PSED was applied.
He said while the venue was advertised as a 'safe space', it was not for those who voiced 'those opinions'.
Asked about freedom of speech, Mr Allison replied: 'Freedom of speech is fine but as far as Darlington borough council is concerned freedom of speech doesn't mean thoughtless speech and we have a duty under the Equality Act and unfortunately are going to have to ask you to leave because that doesn't comply with what we do.'
Despite being warned that the police would be called if they did not leave, the Let Women Speak delegates refused and stayed until the event finished at around 3pm.
'You're not welcome here'
Rose Cross, the North East co-ordinator for Let Women Speak said the exchange had left members feeling upset and harassed.
She told The Telegraph: 'They demanded we shut down the event organised by a local Darlington woman because of the Let Women Speak leaflets we had on display at the open public event on International Women's Day.
'Mr Allison stormed in, it felt very aggressive. He demanded to speak to the organiser and he talked about protecting safe spaces but where was our free speech and our safe space?
'He said 'you're not welcome here, with these views', told us to leave and threatened to call the police. We felt very harassed, upset and Darlington Council are failing women and free speech.
'We felt discriminated against for being women and for holding perfectly legal views.
'For this to happen on International Women's Day really illustrates how public bodies do not understand the Equality Act and how to apply it. Let Women speak are owed an apology for this sex-based discriminatory behaviour and harassment by Darlington Council. Let Women Speak.'
'No right to speak'
Kellie-Jay Keen, the founder of Let Women Speak who is also known as Posie Parker, said it showed how local authorities had been 'coerced and manipulated to accept the activist version of rights that means that women have no right to speak'.
The venue where the incident took place operates as a 'safe space' for locals on a night out in the town and is open on Friday and Saturday nights between 9pm and 2am.
On its website it states: 'From reuniting you with lost friends to providing first aid – we are there for you!
'Our volunteer staff have direct links to the police, the CCTV team and door staff around the town so you know you're in a safe place.
'We can provide water, blankets if you are feeling cold, a charger to bring your phone back to life and even flip flops if your feet are hurting. We can also provide first aid and help you report a crime.'
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