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

This isn't my circumstance at all, but you are so correct to raise this. This is important.

To be fair front line workers on minimum wage will be giving out sensible advice.

The totally able bodied men who are imposing their ideology on this DISABILITY charity are just FAFO. They’re there for their big paychecks and have no lived experience of disability or what it means to receive personal care.

What’s worse than a misogynist, an able bodied misogynist lording it over women with a disability. Idiots.

Yep, and I hope that people don’t take this out on any Scope volunteers or runners they might come across tomorrow. This wasn’t their doing.

I went to the London meet of the anniversary of the Supreme Court judgment. I literally turned or walked away from, the cameras. Because the risk of being visible online was too high for me. I'm partly ashamed - it is cowardly to an extent - but I totally get why the choir members backed out.
These TRAs are so threatening, and have so much power, physically of course, but also mentally. It makes me so angry, but to be fair, it was ever thus. Women can only do their best to stand strong together; their best doesnt have to be perfect.

Fair enough - I decided to wear sunglasses for that same reason. At the end there was a young man who came among the GC crowd and was filming the people there. It wasn't a general scene sort of shot, wondered if he was trying to capture people's faces as a record - I was a little unnerved but just tried to steer away from him. Bloody cheek given that many of the TRAs were masked. ETA I totally understand why the choir members backed out - Scope painted a target on their back. Two anonymous complaints and very little notice of them but by cancelling it shot all parties into the limelight - I doubt the choir members signed up for that and maybe aren't in a position to take a public stand even if there was to be sufficient protection/security

The choir members may also no longer wish to be associated with Scope after their treatment by them.

I was there too and I was encouraged and surprised that there wasn't a counter-protest. There was one member of the blue-haired rainbow brigade when I turned up, but they skulked off pretty rapidly.

I'm very lucky in that my boss is a. a friend of many years' standing and b. a gay man with absolutely no time for the rainbow brigade, so any attempt to doxx me at work would probably result in a pay rise for me!

GC views are “polarising” 🤣🤣🤣

In the USA, one of the most polarised political countries in existence, it’s one of the few things Republicans and Democrats agree on.

Well, except for the Democrats who were in charge of their last Presidential campaign....

Exactly this.
And now it may not go ahead anyway because members feel (understandably)
nervous about what TRAs might do.

I live in London and would have loved to go along and caterwaul sing with them to support them, but I’m unavoidably out of town tomorrow.

Edited for typo

It's the TRAs that do things like that, not our side.

Are Scope oblivious to the men calling for GC women to be raped with rolling pins when a) denouncing these women publicly and calling them "polarising" and "alienating" for their respectable protected beliefs, and b) offering support to the men supposedly distressed by the terrifying prospect of GC women being permitted to sing supportive songs in a public space?

I wouldn't want to attend if I was a member of that choir either after having Scope paint a target on them for violent men.

x.com/jan_murray/status/2048152951580152164

Think I'm almost there with choir numbers - thanks everyone. I'll share more over the next few days (busy writing a briefing note for the choir). But the
@SpeechUnion and their lawyers have been working behind the scenes on mine - and the choir's behalf - over the past few days. While I don't think this chapter is closed, what they've achieved in such a short space of time feels remarkable.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cp38egqdzz1o

Splintered / splintery rolling pin if I recall. Lovely lovely lady*.

*By lady I mean man. Definitely a man. No diggity no doubt.

He seems to have stopped posting on here, at least.

One would think that these big corporations/charities/whatever would learn from previous poor decisions, but some just seem to bulldoze on regardlessly.
Pretty sure the Scope CEO paused counting his huge salary for a while to witness the huge pile of horse shit that was raining down on his head 😊

"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."

Gender critical views: women need rights and should not be stuffed in gender boxes. Just ordinary bog standard Guardian Women's page feminism until 10 years ago.

That's very funny, but probably true.

Obviously the worst thing about this is the shockingly unethical way Scope have behaved. But it's also alarming to see how little they understand - they genuinely don't see that they have done anything wrong. So having probably spotted a good deal of adverse public reaction, and having possibly noticed people cancelling their direct debits, their next move was to describe Janet Murray's views as "polarising".

Now we all know from polling that Janet's views are actually in line, not just with the law of the land, but the vast majority of people in the UK. Furthermore, where there is a difference in viewpoint, it tends to skew by age, so that older women are more likely to agree with Janet, while sympathy for trans activist views are more common amongst the young.

Let's have a think about which demographic are most likely to donate to charity shops and set up direct debits to charity? Who are most likely to name a charity in their will? Why, yes, that's right - middle-aged and older women. In other words, the same demographic who are also most likely to hold the same views as Janet.

I keep thinking: can they really be that stupid? And I've come to the conclusion: Yes, they can. They really can.

I have sent an email complaining of their action to Scope. They will ignore it but they might count how many support their actions and how many object.
Not done any gardening lately but willing to on this. Scope are a very big organisation and need to be held to account.
Depending on the way it develops this might become a lengthy campaign.

I'm sure she's smart enough to outwit these idiots, who are probably just blowing off steam, but you never know.
https://www.reddit.com/r/transgenderUK/comments/1svqi4w/terf_janet_murray_is_looking_for_volunteers_for/
(A call to infiltrate the choir to embarrass her.)

Agree, and is McLachlan suggesting that the unscientific claims that sex is a spectrum/TWAW/people can change sex/ 'gendered soul' etc etc are NOT polarising?
He must be completely out of touch with society and public opinion if he's being so selective in his use of the word 'polarising' in this context.

I think he was banned as AidaP after the rolling pin discovery and then I strongly suspected he was posting under another account so I asked MN to check. It would seem I guessed right as the 2nd account has also vanished. Mumsnet is a place for open debate but that doesn’t give someone the right to shout everyone down with endless pointless arguments. It’s was verbal and not pejorative but the volume of posting was harassing imo

You're completely right but the CEO, senior staff and trustees of Scope are all part of the lanyardocracy. All the big charity infrastructure bodies like NCVO, ACEVO & NAVCA are captured as are all the big funders like comic relief and the lottery along with the NHS, central and local government. The charity press is all captured as well.

they move within a bubble - they all read the guardian, they're bombarded with TWAW propaganda from within and without thanks to the charity sector revolving wheel of senior staff and trustees.

they will literally never have heard anyone tell them different and they will never have given it more thought than "everyone tells us it's like being gay and anyone who doesn't agree supports trump/votes reform"