Graham Linehan & Women Won’t Wheest | TERFED out of Robinson’s Bar, Belfast

[SexRealismBeliefs]

Morning

A cursory search and I couldn’t find any recent threads on this. They’re in need of more carrots for gardening.

You may remember at the time of the LWS rally in Belfast at which Sara Morrison spoke, various sex realist supporters including Graham Linehan & Women Won’t Wheest were attacked and thrown out of a pub in Belfast. One man was badly assaulted.

They are now bringing a claim against the bar owners. This is the first time this type of services being refused for gender critical / sex realist beliefs has been tried in Northern Ireland. The legal landscape here is more complicated - we don’t have the Equality Act and many institutions are saying FWS Supreme Court case doesn’t apply.

Sara Morrison’s lawyer, Simon Chambers is taking the case.

From the blurb:

We are to pay the legal fees to take this case to court in Belfast, and uphold the principle that it is illegal to discriminate against people for holding gender critical beliefs and views that support the rights of women, girls and LGB (Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual) people.

Specifically, we are taking the owners of Robinson’s Bar, Belfast, to court to seek redress, an apology, and a promise of staff training, so that this doesn’t happen again.

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/why-a-belfast-bar-is-facing-action-from-father-ted-writer-graham-linehan-ZO62TFI2UVGCRCV4ZEEO2EMCTY/

https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2024-09-16/father-ted-writer-linehan-discriminated-against-in-pub-after-rally

Trail is expected early 2026.

I don't know anymore about this, but I would think that Allison Bailey winning her case against her vets will help with this one as it relates to service.

AI Summary - treat with caution

Overview of the Incident

On April 16, 2023, a group of 23 individuals— including women, men, lesbians, gay people, and others from Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and the Republic of Ireland—attended the "Let Women Speak" rally in Belfast, organized by women's rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull. The rally focused on gender-critical views, which emphasize biological sex over gender identity and oppose certain transgender rights policies, such as self-identification in women's spaces. Among the attendees was comedian and writer Graham Linehan (known for creating Father Ted), a prominent gender-critical advocate.

After the event, the group randomly selected Robinson’s Bar, a popular pub on Great Victoria Street in Belfast city center, to gather for lunch. They arrived in small groups or individually over about 90 minutes, some with children or relatives. Many wore visible symbols of their beliefs, such as T-shirts, badges, scarves, or bags emblazoned with slogans like "Women won’t wheesht" (Scottish for "Women won’t be quiet"), "Woman: Adult Human Female," or suffragette colors. The group described themselves as peaceful and friendly.

Sequence of Events

• *Refusal of Service*: Bar staff began refusing to serve drinks or food to group members, explicitly citing their attire and gender-critical beliefs. Audio and video recordings captured staff using derogatory language, including calling them "TERFs" (a slur for "trans-exclusionary radical feminists," often implying transphobia). One lesbian attendee asked if the refusal was due to her sexuality but received no clear response. The atmosphere turned hostile, with staff creating a "febrile" environment, according to claimants.

• *Physical Altercation*: As the group prepared to leave, a barman allegedly headbutted an older gay man in the group (identified in some reports as "Antony"), causing facial lacerations, bruising, and a permanent scar. Police were called, and the barman was cautioned but not charged. Fearing further violence, the group quickly exited the premises—effectively "chased out" amid the escalating tension.

• *Broader Context*: Linehan later suggested on social media that a trans activist had phoned ahead to Belfast pubs, warning them about the group, which may have contributed to the staff's reaction. The pub owners, Wine Inns Ltd, deny any prior knowledge or targeted discrimination, claiming any issues stemmed from individual behaviors causing staff apprehension, not beliefs.

Legal Action

The 23 individuals filed civil claims against Wine Inns Ltd in Belfast County Court, alleging direct discrimination and less favorable treatment under Northern Ireland's equality laws. Gender-critical beliefs were established as a protected philosophical belief in the 2019 UK Employment Appeal Tribunal case Forstater v CGD Europe, meaning they cannot legally justify unequal treatment. The claimants seek redress, a public apology, staff training on equality, and damages: £20,000 for the assault victim, up to £8,000 each for two witnesses as "secondary victims," and unspecified amounts for the others due to refusal of service.

• *Linehan's Role*: As a high-profile figure who engaged with staff during the incident, Linehan was selected as one of eight "lead" or "test" cases in December 2024 to represent the group's diverse experiences (e.g., direct refusal vs. witnessing events). This streamlines the proceedings, with outcomes potentially applying to all 23 claimants.

• *Key Developments*:

- September 2024: Initial hearing where barrister Peter Girvan described the case as "seminal" for testing discrimination laws on gender-critical views. A review was set for October 2024, with trial eyed for early 2025.

• December 2024: Court confirmed lead cases, including Linehan; adjourned to February 2025 for further details.

• *Current Status (as of November 2025)*: The case remains ongoing, with no verdict issued. A full trial date has not been publicly listed, but proceedings continue via video evidence and consolidated hearings. A crowdfunding campaign has raised over £11,000 of a £30,000 goal to cover legal fees, with surplus earmarked for similar gender-critical cases.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions around gender-critical activism in the UK and Ireland, where such views have led to both legal protections and public backlash. The pub maintains it did not discriminate, emphasizing service refusals were not belief-based.

Yes I agree - but Equity Act doesn’t apply in Northern Ireland so this is first of its kind to test application to the framework of laws here.

When I was banned from my local (in England) for wearing a WDI hoodie and standing in the General Election for Party of Women, the Free Speech Union wrote to the pub explaining how they were breaking several laws and the pub backed down.

"in addition to constituting a breach of the Equality Act, barring Ms Panton constituted a breach of the common law duty laid out in the case of Constantine v Imperial Hotels Limited ([1944] KB 693, [1944] 2 All ER 171), which holds that an innkeeper has an implied tortious duty to receive and entertain guests unless there is just cause to refuse."

"We also reminded the pub that because Ms Panton was a prospective parliamentary candidate at the time she was banned in any subsequent court proceedings the court would be required to have regard to her rights under the European Convention of Human Rights enshrined in the Human Rights Act 1998 – in particular, her rights to Freedom of Thought (Article 9); Freedom of Expression (Article 10); Freedom of Association (Article 11) and the Prohibition on Discrimination on Grounds of Political or Other Opinion (Article 14)."

https://freespeechunion.org/fsu-member-successfully-fights-back-after-being-banned-from-pub-for-gender-critical-views/

The breach of the Equality Act was just one of the ways the pub broke the law. I assume the ECHR and the Human Rights Act apply to Northern Ireland? No idea about the common law case of Constantine v Imperial Hotels Limited.

https://everything.explained.today/Constantine_v_Imperial_Hotels_Ltd/

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/stories/sir-learie-constantine/

Took me a while to find the allotment that needs tending. Then I found a signpost saying, "Assaulted and refused service at a pub for supporting women’s rights".

I wonder would the Gay Cake discrimination case have any relevance here. That was also Northern Ireland.

Crikey, @POWNewcastleEastWallsend, that reference to Sir Learie Constantine led me down a rabbit hole or two!

He supported the Bristol bus boycott in 1963 when the bus management was refusing to employ black and asian bus drivers. Guess who sided with management back then? The trade union, the Transport and General Workers’ Union. It took them fifty years to apologise.

That union is now known as Unite and is busy siding with management against women. I wonder if we’ll have to wait fifty years, too?

I feel very strongly about this. Unite was formed by the merger of the T&GWU and MSF. I was a workplace rep for MSF (and one of it's predecessor unions, ASTMS) all my working life, was North East Regional President of MSF and was elected by the Northern Region TUC to represent Women's Interests on the North East Assembly.

Just seven years ago, in July 2018 the General Secretary of Unite, Len McClusky, and the General Secretaries of several other Trade Unions signed an open letter published in the Morning Star:

Improving the climate of debate around proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act
3 July 2018

We are calling for action within our movement to allow debate to take place over proposed changes to the Act.

You may be aware that on April 13 this year, an activist, Tara Wood was convicted of the assault by beating of Maria MacLachlan, a 60-year-old woman who had gathered with others in order to attend a meeting at which they could discuss the potential impact on women and girls of such a change to the law.

On March 8, an incident also occurred on a Bectu picket line in which trans activists, with no connection to the industrial dispute itself, mobbed and verbally attacked a female trade union member on the basis of having recognised her as an attendee at a similar meeting.

And in late April women in Bristol looking to meet and discuss changes to the Gender Recognition Act were met with masked activists blocking entrances to the venue, and deliberately intimidating those wishing to go inside.

More recently, a meeting organised by Woman’s Place UK was targeted with a bomb threat which Hastings Police are investigating as a serious incident.

These cases are part of systematic attempts to shut down meetings organised by women at which they can discuss potential legislative changes and the impact these may have on any sex-based rights already enshrined in law.

They draw the whole of our progressive movement into disrepute.

Some trans rights activists even continue to justify the use of violence, meaning that many women are simply too frightened to attend meetings that are both public and lawful in order that they may discuss their own rights.

Other women, including ordinary women concerned for their rights, as well as those active within the trade union movement and other political campaigns, are also now anxious and fearful that they will be subjected to such attacks when engaging in any political activity, meetings, or protests.

We are sure that, whatever your view regarding the issues around the Gender Recognition Act, you will agree that it is unacceptable for women to be made scared to engage in political life.

We, the undersigned, publicly and unequivocally condemn the use of violence or tactics of intimidation on this issue.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/improving-climate-debate-around-proposed-changes-gender-recognition-act

Now we see officials from all the big unions carrying union banners and prominently involved in "systematic attempts to shut down meetings organised by women at which they can discuss . . . sex-based rights already enshrined in law."

There are women fighting back within their Unions.

Mark Serwotka signed that open letter when he was General Secretary of the PCS Union (Public and Commercial Services, the main Civil Service union).

Union campaigner to sue PCS
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5380622-union-campaigner-to-sue-pcs

You can help grow Fiona MacDonald's garden, which is looking rather underdeveloped, at "Why I am suing my Trade Union".

I’m quoting myself here. Ironically the second error (so far) in the Sandie Peggie judgment refers to the very famous Northern Ireland Gay Cake legal battle.

In light of the Glinner inspired controversies raging on other threads I'm genuinely sorry to have to do this, but it's not just about him

Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan secures date for landmark discrimination claim against Robinson's Bar https://share.google/zpTUc7LxeyGl7TPBR

I hope this thread doesn't get derailed...and while I'm dreaming...

It's still good news.
Everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law. In the same way that feminism applies to all women, even the ones you don't like, protection from discrimination and violence should apply to people who also say overheated things on Twitter. If for no other reason than the stick used to beat your opponents could one day be turned against you.

It was so clearly wrong. I'm glad the court agreed and its a win for anyone who might be targeted in the future as well.

GL is just one of eight test cases, but the headlines will probably be all about him.

Precisely. Legal protections aren’t just for people who have a spotless record.

As OP stated, the Equality Act 2010 applies in GB, not NI (apart from a couple of minor exceptions) and the legal arrangements in NI are complicated.

Discrimination and equality are devolved matters under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (the major political settlement of its status) which focuses mainly on detailed arrangements for the constitution / running of the devolved Assembly, and the equality duties of public authorities. It looks primarily to EU and human rights legislation, also with a nod to Ireland in terms of parity of rights.

NI continues to have its own Equality Commission, tribunals and courts, and in addition to the NI Act 1998, has a subsisting mix of its own specific laws such as the Fair Employment Act 1976 (major NI legislation enforcing rights to religious and political beliefs), plus GB laws that NI adopted and have not been repealed in NI by the Equality Act 2010, though repealed in GB: examples are the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (both as amended and updated).

The final court for NI laws in the UK is the Supreme Court. The Equality Commission NI (ECNI) works closely with the GB Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on codes of practice and the like. ECNI has long advocated for alignment with GB / UK legislation but the hard-won political settlement for NI took precedence over everything else. There may be a move now in ECNI towards the notion of going beyond GB / UK in terms of rights.

Your username is a misnomer Abitofalark - thank you for that very seriously detailed and useful post
edited to say.. unless, with your detailed knowledge of NI, you are Abitofalark in the clear air
[for anyone puzzled, it's a musical ref., it's worth googling the Lark in the Clear Air if you don't know it, a most beautiful song💚]

Thank you. I thought a sense of the overall picture,if not all the detail would be useful I used to read articles or even hear on the BBC, certain legal 'experts' who didn't know that the Equality Act and the EHRC. didn't apply to NI. And wondered if I was going mad. I did hard labour, wrestling with the wordy ECNI website - they love their long discursive papers. How many different ways can you reword and repeat essentially the same thing and how long to get to the point?

Intense work was going on in Whitehall preparing legislation based on EU equality directives, for NI but it was all so purely political that in the end the Act focused mainly on Stormont and politics plus specifying duties on public authorities for regular reporting to the ECNI - in that sense very prescriptive. There wasn't any major overhaul of equality legislation that the ECNI would have liked.

The username - hah! - probably not much like me but having to think of a name when signing up. I did know the Lark in the Morning song from childhood. And occasionally I do a little burst: 'I've seen the lark soar high at morn; the thrush and the linnet too...'

Agree this is a helpful post although just on a point of detail in case anyone uses this as a route to look up the text, it is not the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (which, like the Equality Act, was GB only) but the Sex Discrimination (NI) Order 1976.

Isn't it lovely? I learned it (and a bunch of other Irish songs) from a set of little song-books I bought on a holiday in Ireland back in the 1980s. There were some real treasures in there.

I had a Law lecturer in the 00s who used to opine that the fair employment legislation in NI, in particular the legal situation in terms of religion and belief, was a great template for the Westminster legislators to emulate in creating the Equality Act 2010.

He felt our NI legislation offered more protection for political belief. I'm not entirely sure I still agree with him nowadays, having watched the recent Morrison v BFF employment tribunal.