Scope is punishing women for wrongthink - Whole choir cancelled from London Marathon because of personal GC views of one person

[singthing]

Choir dropped from London Marathon over founder’s ‘gender-critical views’
Charity cancels singers who raise runners’ spirits owing to Janet Murray’s opposition to gender ideology

A choir has been dropped from the London Marathon over a member’s gender-critical views.

The Singing Striders are frequently booked to stand on the sidelines and raise the spirits of runners, and the group had been invited to support the upcoming marathon by Scope, a leading disability charity.

However, the amateur ensemble was dropped because a single member had been critical of gender ideology.

This is the view that gender is defined by self-identification, rather than biological sex, meaning that those born male can become women.

Janet Murray, the choir founder, was informed that her opposition to this worldview went against Scope’s “commitment to diversity and inclusion”.

Charity bosses also told her “we are concerned about your views because we don’t agree with your views”.

As a writer and journalist, Murray has publicly expressed concerns about the inclusion of biological males in women’s sports and organisations such as Girlguiding.

It is understood that the decision to cancel the choir, which was to perform for no fee, came after Scope received two anonymous complaints about these opinions.

The charity has since defended its stance as it is “committed to the equality and inclusion of trans and non-binary disabled people”.

Janet Murray, the writer
Murray says it is ironic that Scope should bring politics into a space that was simply about supporting charity runners Credit: Belinda Jiao
Ms Murray told The Telegraph: “When cancel culture finds its way into something as joyful as a choir singing for marathon runners, it’s a sobering reminder of how insidious it can be.

“My choir exists to lift people up, helping them through the hardest moments as they raise money for charity. I’ve run the London Marathon myself, and I know how much that support means.”

The writer said that while she did have gender-critical views, they did not enter into her work with the choir, adding: “I leave politics at home when I’m with the choir – and so does everyone else.

“Ironically, it’s Scope that’s brought politics into a space that was simply about supporting charity runners – effectively silencing a choir in the process.”

The cancellation came despite the Singing Striders performing for Scope at past marathons without incident.

The London Marathon has several “cheer points” along the route to boost the morale of runners, and Scope has two dedicated spaces this year, at Tower Hill and Woolwich

The London Marathon will take place on Sunday
The London Marathon will take place on Sunday Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage
The Singing Striders were set to raise a chorus at the mile-three cheer point in Woolwich, performing from 8.30am to 1pm, with minor expenses for travel covered by Scope.

The choir had practised for months ahead of the marathon, and members were understood to be surprised and disappointed by the decision, and hopeful that an organisation might come forward to offer them a space at the event on Sunday.

Critics of gender ideology have been subjected to cancellation since the issue of transgender identities emerged into public consciousness, with figures such as Graham Linehan, the Father Ted co-writer, being an early victim of censoriousness.

Graham Linehan on the trans debate and new Father Ted material
Read more
In 2024, the debate shifted again when the Cass review cautioned against rushing children into life-changing gender transitions, particularly with the use of potentially harmful puberty blockers.

Scope has defended its decision to cancel the marathon choir, stating that the move “reflects where we stand as an organisation and our commitment to our colleagues, volunteers and supporters”.

John McLachlan, Scope’s chief executive, said: “Concerns were raised to us about the views of the founder and director of Singing Striders, a choir who were due to volunteer to perform for us at the London Marathon. After consideration, we took the decision to not have their choir perform on our behalf.

“We understand and respect the right for people to hold different views about inclusion. At Scope, we are committed to the equality and inclusion of trans and non-binary disabled people. We have trans and non-binary colleagues, volunteers and supporters.

“Scope is committed to equality and inclusion. Our EDI policy sets out our commitment to be an inclusive employer and inclusive charity.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/04/24/choir-dropped-london-marathon-founder-gender-critical-views/
https://archive.ph/LXP0N

Fuck off Scope, I wont be buying anything from your shops anymore or donating.

This all day long.
The charity sector is completely unfit for purpose with grotesquely overpaid chief execs pandering to so many irrelevant political issues and failing to deliver their core functions to target groups.
Just look at the shameful behaviour of the Great Ormond Street charity. A wonderful pioneering children's hospital being used by its charity to push their niche interest in transitioning children. Flying the progress flag over the hospital and telling some of the most vulnerable and unwell children in the country that their bodies can be wrong but there's this great idea called changing sex.

Rinse and repeat for countless other charities.
Small local charities where you know where resources will go all the way.

I will cancel my regular donation to Scope. There are many other good causes, so I’ll choose one that doesn’t actively oppose child safeguarding and women’s and rights.

I know a lot of charities have been captured, just like a lot of the whole establishment. But I’m not going to pay to support a child-harming and misogynistic ideology.

Nope. This feels almost personal, the "apology" was beyond unhelpful, and I'm capable of bearing a grudge for a very long time. Scope has never been one of my chosen charities for regular donations, but I've added their charity shops to the list of those I won't go into.

Sex Matters is a good substitute to donate to, they're trying to get rid of the gender rot in all areas.

One thing I think is really important is to tell them exactly why you're doing it, so that they can't pretend they don't know.

SCOPE is continuing to damage its reputation. Janet Murray posted this morning that despite chasing, she hasn't been paid the £300 fee agreed. Now, she has posted that she has just been paid. The CEO who cancelled (in both senses) the choir last week is on a salary of £150,000. Two own goals in less than a week! It's sounding like a dysfunctional organisation.

I'm disgusted that a charity to help disabled people is fucking around like this. They seem to have lost sight of what is actually important.

Tbh most of the big charities lost this years ago. I became very disillusioned very fast after a little aquaintence with a few of them in a work project a few years back. Ethics, values, actual care about anyone but their own jobs and gravy train, long since gone. I won't donate to any of the big ones in the London offices, only to the small local charities.

Not closed, but also nothing from Scope about the impact on the members of the choir themselves.

They now feel so vulnerable because of Scope's malicious actions that they dont want to be known to be part of the choir.

No doubt the women in the choir do not all think the same, or even considered that signing up to sing with other women would be politicised like this.

So a small group of women, finding a common interest, and no doubt getting a positive feeling from doing this, as well as as wanting to share what they do to raise money, have been silenced and their connection to each other destroyed.

That's how transactivism works. Seek out anything devoted to women and trash it. Either by intimidating and bullying women involved, making up allegations of bigotry and phobia and / or going for their workplaces, friends and family.

It's a form of destructive domestic terrorism that's sadly enabled by all the useful idiots running charities and other organisations.

I wonder if there is some standard mechanism that charities use to measure their impact. I'm musing on the fact that Scope apparently used to run respite and holiday care centres and now it does political lobbying. Which of those, I wonder, has the most effect on disabled people's lives? But then again, which of those is likely to bring its senior team into contact with Important People?

I lost faith after the Oxfam scandals

So much left smashed and destroyed behind them. Usually things that were doing a good job in meeting needs and providing resources. And never any regret. Never any care or consideration for anyone else's needs or what is lost or who is harmed.

Added and abetted by all those useful idiots like Scope who dance to their tune.

I am so sad for the women.

I hope the choir gets back together, but suspect they wont.

Agree but I'm also disgusted their obviously incompetent CEO is on 150k - that's not value for money. There will be people on far lower salaries that donate to
Scope who are essentially paying for him to live in luxury.

I'm concerned Scope isn't for disabled women (many of whom live on very limited means - 150k could make a big difference to a large number of them). Single sex care is important for disabled women and the rate of sexual abuse of disabled women is high. I think it was WRN that did a report on it and the facts and figures were horrendous. Where's the scope campaign to say that women who want same sex care aren't bigots?

I also agree with a PP that they haven't suffered for their anti-women attitude enough.

Scope, like Stonewall and other charities, gained a high profile because of the good work they did, and then it became more and more about the high profile and less and less about the good work.
It was hijacked first by the professional charity class and all the power was consolidated at the top, the organisation then became policy orientated, reputation became the focus and service delivery stagnated and then faded away.
They are no longer fit for purpose, they're no longer of any value to those they're suppose to help.

Even if they did “put it right” (which they haven’t for all the reasons other posters have given) it is too late for my donation. I have found a new charity to donate to. My donation has been going for years. At best guess I would say I have been making it every month for over half my life. But not any more.

I think part of the problem is that they did used to provide actual places of support etc..

But I think over time got criticism for how this was delivered and that many premises were basically no longer appropriate at a time many were asking for independent living support, not to be told they should be isolated off with others like them.

No doubt finances also paid a part, and so they stopped offering actual practical support.

So in re-emerging as a campaign type group, the question has to be asked for whose benefit was that? The ego of the staff or because users had said yes please continue to advocate for us.

A bit like Stonewall when they found that in a sense they were no longer needed and then "found" that they could add in the T and created a whole new stream of funding.

Agree. There is no 'putting right' a clear indicator that they are all in on an extremist political activist position that is based on misogyny and working to destroy the rights of women, girls and homosexuals.

There's no 'putting that right'. Ever. I couldn't trust them with any woman or girl, never mind one who was vulnerable, with communication difficulties and who wanted a same sex carer. And I could not believe anything they said as being actually representative of values and actions now, because this particular field of political activism joyfully embraces and exploits dishonesty to achieve its aims.

The thing is, nobody would have any problem calling this what it is in any other context. If a fixed-term contractor magics up needless work to milk its public sector clients, or the mafia sends guys to a construction site to sit in deckchairs and collect a wage, everyone knows that that’s corruption.

But act like that when you’re a charity and for some reason it’s really hard to see it.

Lots of meetings. Lots of Cath Kidston bags. Lots of coffee and bid writing.

Yes. Totally agree.

Only the private sector is capable of corruption. The public and third sector are beyond reproach whatever they do. Do you need re-education?

Good idea. I’ll invite tenders from suitable providers and let you know when the first of the infinity bi-weekly seminars is set up.

So Scope said“Gender-critical views are highly polarising and we are sensitive to the fact that for some of our valued members, supporters and colleagues, gender-critical beliefs may be deeply upsetting and alienating.”

Clearly they have never considered that transgenderist views are highly polarising. Clearly they are insensitive to the fact that for some of their valued members, supporters and colleagues, transgenderist beliefs may be deeply upsetting and alienating.