National Library of Scotland censors The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht

[OhBuggerandArse]

Took it out of their centenary exhibition because the staff LGBT+ network kicked up a fuss. Craven. This really needs massive public challenge and push back - if the National Library isn't able to fend off the censors we are utterly lost. https://x.com/EthelWrites/status/1955390550494023958

Angus Robertson, alleged Culture Secretary.

I have to admit that I had no idea who is culture secretary and I'm fairly interested in the arts and culture.

Yeah me too I'm automatically suspicious and think, hmm, what do you really mean?

Me too, I actually wince/brace in my body when I come across it. Because what it usually means these days is somebody being in a space or offering they shouldn’t be in, where their presence will cause harm to those who the provision should be for. Some of whom will be forced into self-excluding as a result. .

It never ever seems to be about making sure those with disabilities can be included, or making provision for those who are economically disadvantaged, for example.

Does the National Library of Scotland actually know the Scots word "wheesht"?

Perhaps after they've looked that up they could check the definition of "irony".

To be fair, I googled. He trained as a journalist and worked in Vienna. And he's written two books, - 'Why Vote SNP?' and a book on Vienna. Apparently he likes Metallica.

To me it means exclusion of anyone who doesn't share a set of prescribed beliefs. It means policing thought and expression, demanding fealty, and forbidding questioning or dissent. It means inclusion of those willing to submit and active exclusion of everyone else.

Absolutely. It’s particularly pernicious in the way it’s dressed up as something forward-thinking, compassionate and fair. When in reality it’s the exact opposite.

Any news, @VoleForceOne? It seems beyond belief that there've been no responses yet (to outcry or letters), but, well, you know....

Great description ArabellaScott! I feel like printing this out!

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/national-library-learning-these-are-women-you-really-cant-wheesht-5274422

Bugger! So I rolled this for nothing!

Ooft @VoleForceOne so it's a case of just digging their heels in and (pun intended), not reading the room?

Wonder how that'll work out for them...

That is a magnificent dung ball, boiled.
Times is reporting further:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/a483c63f-00ab-4988-8aaa-bd9351c99489?shareToken=bcb0114121fb7e576e01aee3232ca27a

They are hoping it'll blow over and it'll be forgotten in a couple of weeks.

I have my doubts about this strategy.

And a comment by Susan Dalgety and Lucy Hunter Blackburn:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/82c17fb9-4a2c-4813-9728-477fc41c08d7?shareToken=b42efcca33d4c1af1ef649076fc8ecbf

Have teh FOIs been put into a newspaper article, yet? They are utterly damning, and need to be widely read.

The Scottish Parliament is in recess until 31 August. I'm sure that will be time enough for it all to blow over, the fuss to die down, and women to give up and meekly agree to surrender their rights to be listened to.

Which is worse, the NLS or NHS Fife? Probably the latter, but the Library putting up a good showing.

I'm struggling to understand the strategic thinking that led the NLS to decide that silencing THE WOMEN WHO WOULDN'T WHEESHT was a good idea.

A library gaslighting readers over censoring a book.

A hospital gaslighting staff and patients over a man using women's facilities.

The personal impact of a man invading women's spaces is grave. Potentially treating patients who've requested a female. That's our National Health Service treating women with contempt, and enabling abuse.

Our National Library deliberately excluding and censoring a book because some staff object to the book's contents ...

Yeah, one can't choose. It's authoritarian, mendacious, abusive, subersive. It undermines faith in our institutions and systems. Both are serious and egregious breaches of the duties of each respective institution.

These are the things that chip, chip, chip away at a nation. The silencing, the chilling, the blithe disregard, the self satisfied refusal to even engage. The arrogance.

The NLS is overseen by Scottish Ministers, and the Board.

'National Library of Scotland Board meetings are held quarterly, in the last week of March, June, September and November.'

(Although if I were on that board, I'd be calling an EGM.)

Ultimately, this comes down to the government, and at some point, the people of Scotland will need to ask what our government is doing to protect our institutions, the interests of citizens, and public trust.

https://www.nls.uk/about-us/who-and-what/leadership-and-governance/board/board-members/

'Hunter Blackburn and Dalgety have also written to Angus Robertson, the SNP culture secretary, calling on him to take a firmer stance on defending freedom of speech and to reassure publicly funded cultural bodies that grants would not be at risk if they rejected censorship demands.
Robertson has said he is a “strong supporter” of freedom of speech but has declined to comment directly on the row over the book, despite the national library being reliant on the Scottish government for the vast majority of its annual funding.'

He can't just fucking 'decline to comment'. Commenting is his job.

Nail on the head!

https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/08/the-national-library-of-scotland-when-curation-becomes-censorship/

In which Index for Censorship suggests that just maybe perhaps censoring a book wasn't the absolute best course of action for a National Library. Even if it's a horrible book that will make people sad.

That is a weaselly take on what happened.