Edinburgh Fringe venue apologises for letting gender-critical Kate Forbes speak at event
Summerhall Arts issued an apology to other performers at the venue for its 'oversight' in allowing Ms Forbes, who backs single-sex spaces for women, to be interviewed on stage last week as part of The Herald newspaper's Unspun Live series.
Several artists at the venue are performing shows with gay or transgender themes, and some set up a 'safe room' because they claimed to have been 'terrified' while Ms Forbes was in the building, the Daily Mail reported.
Managers apologised to performers and said that they would develop 'robust, proactive inclusion and wellbeing policies that would prevent this oversight in our bookings process happening again'.
Ms Forbes, a practising Christian, said she 'unequivocally' backed single-sex spaces amid Sandie Peggie 's employment tribunal. Ms Peggie, a nurse, is suing NHS Fife for unlawful discrimination over sharing a changing room with a trans doctor.
Ms Forbes, who is standing down in May, also said she would not have backed the Scottish Government's self- ID legislation had she not been on maternity leave.
Responding to the row, she said: 'As I stated at the event, I fervently believe in freedom of speech. Any effort to cancel people, especially politicians, undermines democracy.
'Many people attended The Herald event and it is important that we could freely discuss and debate matters in a respectful manner. I respect and acknowledge the fact that in a liberal democracy there are people who will agree with me and others who will disagree with me.
'That is all the more reason to create events where the audience and journalists can question politicians openly, as The Herald did.'
It comes after The Stand comedy club was forced to reinstate a show featuring Joanna Cherry, a gender-critical former SNP MP, in 2023 after she threatened legal action for discrimination. The venue had initially tried to cancel the event because of her views on trans issues.
In its about-turn, the Fringe venue accepted its initial decision ' constituted unlawful discrimination ' against Ms Cherry.
'So coddled'
Speaking to comedian Matt Forde for his Political Party series taking place at the Fringe, Ms Cherry said it was 'shocking' that staff at Summerhall Arts 'are so coddled that they need to have a safe room provided for them when Kate came to speak'.
She added: 'It's shocking that a venue has effectively said that the deputy first minister of the country is not welcome there.'
Ms Forbes is not banned from the venue, The Telegraph understands.
Women's rights campaigners said a refusal to allow Ms Forbes – or anyone who shares her views – to appear at the venue would be 'against the law' for the same reasons Ms Cherry cited in her battle with the Stand two years ago.
Marion Calder, a director at For Woman Scotland, told the Mail: 'They clearly haven't taken legal opinion on this. Why on earth would members of staff and other performers be scared of a young woman having 'dangerous' thoughts?
'Summerhall is renowned as being one of the largest Fringe venues: what is this saying about the Edinburgh Fringe if free speech doesn't exist and this appearance is intolerable? And who are these arbiters who think some people are not allowed to have thoughts?'
Gender-critical belief, that a person cannot change sex, has been treated as a protected belief under the Equality Act since 2021.
Ms Calder also questioned why performers at the venue were not equally 'up in arms' about the appearance of Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, who said he too supports single-sex spaces.
Ms Forbes, who announced that she was stepping down as an MSP at next year's Holyrood election last week, appeared at Summerhall on Aug 7. During the interview, presenter Andrew Learmonth claimed that there were people in the building 'who didn't want this show to go ahead'.
Those people, the journalist said, complained to management and wanted the event to be cancelled because they 'didn't like what they think of your views, particularly around gender, sex and trans issues'.
'Prevent this oversight happening again'
A source at the venue told the Mail: 'This event was booked as a series of long-form interviews before the guest list being confirmed.
'Summerhall Arts' primary concern is the safety and wellbeing of the artists and performers we work with, and going forward we will be developing robust, proactive inclusion and wellbeing policies that would prevent this oversight in our bookings process happening again.'
The source added that the venue had informed artists ahead of the event.
Shona Robison, the finance minister, supported Ms Forbes and said she disagreed with the venue's decision to apologise for hosting the deputy first minister.
She told LBC: 'We need to be tolerant of each other's views. I know Kate Forbes very well. I don't think it sends the right message.'
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