Comedy event cancelled at the Fringe because of Glinner?

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

I hadn't seen anything about this on X/Twitter previously, but apparently some activists have been putting pressure on the venue and they've cancelled an upcoming event called Comedy Unleashed because one of the comedians is Graham Linehan. How utterly pathetic. https://twitter.com/UnleashedComedy/status/1691476377793409024?s=20 Seems to be organised by/associated with Andrew Doyle, aka Titania McGrath.

Wow. The Guardian might actually be edging it’s way back to being a readable news paper again.

https://amp.theguardian.com/culture/2023/aug/16/graham-linehan-mulls-legal-action-against-edinburgh-arts-venue-leith-arches

My favourite bits.

(perhaps The Guardian should run a poll re: banishing Owen Jones to live in a cave?)

Leith Arches, which deleted its original Instagram post referring to “outraged” complainants and replaced it with a shorter one later on Tuesday, has not said explicitly why Linehan was banned.
However, unless Leith Arches could prove its decision was not wholly or substantially based on Linehan’s gender critical beliefs, its actions would constitute unlawful discrimination under the act, he said.
“On the face of it, it seems very similar to the Jo Cherry case,” Foran said. “The point at which it might be different is if their reason for cancelling the event isn’t to do with Graham Linehan’s gender critical views, it was something else, the onus would really be on the venue to establish that.”

From the Guardian piece, Dr Michael Foran, equality law expert.

So all the venue have to do to defend against a legal case is provide evidence that the ‘information’ provided by complainers (ie the information that sparked the cancellation of the contract) had nothing to do with GL’s GC views…

Well, that’s Leith Arches shit out of luck then!

I'm sure that if Leith Arches have a 'reputational damage ' clause in their Ts&C's, they would look to shelter behind it. So what is Leith Arches' reputation? As far as I can see, based only on their website, Leith Arches doesn't have a reputation for anything so I'm buggered if I can see how hosting Glinner can harm it.

They may have an escape route if they can demonstrate that the organisers knew that Glinner would be the mystery comedian but hid the fact from Leith Arches.

Planet finds it easy to say that Frankie Boyle should be turned down by a venue but cannot agree that there should be a lesbian support line, run by lesbians for lesbians if there are lesbians willing to set it up.

I'm fascinated by the desperation this has triggered, and in this thread and I feel sorry for the dimwit business owner in the middle of it. The intolerance of the other performers he contracts with has landed him in a right old mess.

They are intolerant of Glinner's opinions, fine, but putting this service provider in this awful position is massive overreach. Who are they punishing? A small precarious business that hosts these niche market performers? Very self destructive.

He's either going to pay a fortune for lawyers defending this knee jerk action which I doubt he can as businesses like that operate on tiny margins, or apologise profusely to avoid it going any further.

As another venue has been found, I hope they avoid legal action. I looked at some of their social media ( tip, avoid the breakfast) and they do seem a bit hardscrabble. I expect it's frightening when the tras come after you.

The owner’s Companies House profile certainly makes the business look very precarious.

Graham back on TalkTV tonight, it didn't go well

So apparently the Talk TV clip has been taken down and there's allegedly a furore about the ambush from the presenter along with Peter Tatchell. Legal action is being discussed.

Is there a bulk buy discounted price for Tatchell appearances? I hope so, he must be raking it in.

Well doesn't this put Piers Morgan in quite the position. He is not even commenting on X (Twitter).

Having Peter Tatchell on to discuss how Graham Linehan shouldn't be untoward about paedophiles is an interesting move.

The presenter may get away with it so long as nobody googles anything.

Graham has harassed and threatened women and LGBT people with violence. He has also falsely accused LGBT people of "grooming" and uses slurs against LGBT people such as "nonce", yes it is rather ironic he himself posted images of unclothed children on the internet.

This is not free speech. The man is a violent hater and belongs in prison.

Thanks for the chuckle donna.

Wow! Wow, wow, wow! Incendiary stuff. The presenter was woeful, and it was her who brought up paedophilia, not Linehan, and that’s where it all went to shit. All three in the studio totally against him. That was very uncomfortable viewing.

This Peter Tatchell?

Henning Wehn and Lee Hurst supporting free speech for comedy on X (Twitter), including the proposed show at the Leith Arches, pointing out it could be any one of them next.

The immediate pushback seems to be yes but ... Linehan is an exceptional witch.

This Peter Tatchell?

https://ianpace.wordpress.com/2014/07/05/betrayal-of-youth-1986-including-the-contributions-of-middleton-owens-faust-tatchell/

He wrote Chapter 9, 'Questioning Ages of Majority and Ages of Consent'.

Wow. That presenter is a fucking car crash.

I'd love to see Piers interview her.

I’m really hoping this carcrash of a presenter will shine the Streisand Effect on Tatchell.

I really don't understand how Tatchell continues to be platformed in mainstream media, when his position on adults having sex with minors is out there for all to read. He's repulsive.