Transphobia row leaves Scottish poetry scene in turmoil
After
the Scottish Poetry Library aired concerns over ‘escalating
disharmony’, campaigners have questioned its respect for trans writers
A
bitter conflict is escalating in the Scottish literary scene with the
Scottish Poetry Library (SPL) standing accused of “institutional
transphobia” after it said that it would not support “bullying and calls
for no-platforming of writers”.
The organisation – an influential part of Scotland’s thriving poetry scene – released its statement
in February after what it described as an “escalation, particularly on
social media, of disharmony” and an increase in writers being
no-platformed at literary events. It stressed that the statement was to
encourage freedom of expression and was not tied to a specific incident,
but, speaking to the National,
SPL director Asif Khan said that these issues had affected the mental
health of some unnamed poets, claiming some had become suicidal.
The issue was raised in the Scottish parliament
on Tuesday, where the SNP’s Joan McAlpine said it was “worrying that
women such as feminist poets in Scotland, Jenny Lindsay and Magi Gibson,
have been subject to online mobs trying to stop them getting work or
blocking their performances”.
The
library stressed that it had spoken out to encourage freedom of
expression. “We are a values-led organisation that embraces inclusivity,
collaboration and a respect for pluralism – of languages, cultures and
faiths … this does not mean that we are taking sides in any particular
debate but we will not be passive if we are made aware of behaviours
within our community that do not align with our values.”
But
in response, a group of trans and non-binary authors released an open
letter that said the SPL’s position “may reflect serious institutional
transphobia”, and had caused “extensive distress”.
“Your
use of the term ‘no-platforming’ … risks being read as being directly
about calls from trans people to act on transphobia,” says the letter,
which is signed by poets Harry Josephine Giles and Sy Brand, and more
than 100 supporters. “The language used and the manner of communication
led us to worry that the statement provided cover and comfort to public
transphobia, and failed to protect and respect trans writers.”
Khan
told the Guardian on Wednesday that the SPL board was considering its
response. He said that its Edinburgh fringe programme last year was
themed on trans and non-binary writers, and it is presently celebrating
LGBT History Month with an exhibition.
“We
find the no-platforming of poets [is] in direct opposition to the
principle of freedom of expression, which libraries uphold.
No-platforming and ‘cancel culture’ are impacting writers’ livelihoods
and lives, often with a severe impact on mental health,” he said.
“Looking forward, we will engage with trans and non-binary writers and
audiences through a process of healing and reconciliation. However, we
will continue to champion freedom of expression as a core value. It is
non-negotiable. In this week celebrating international women’s
liberation, our thoughts are with women around the world who are
prisoners of conscience.”
On Wednesday, Giles
confirmed that the SPL had been in touch saying that it hoped to repair
the situation. “I think we would all really welcome engagement from the
SPL and some proper work to understand transphobia and how it operates,”
they added. “The letter we wrote lays out the path for doing that. We
really need to repair things with a national institution that has done
some damage to its reputation.
“Personally
I’ve seen a lot of upset from people about the kind of quotes which are
appearing in the media, and the way the situation is being spun. We said
in our letter that the language you’re using, if you’re not careful,
it’s going to be spun against trans people, so please be careful, and lo
and behold that’s what’s happening.”
Reactions
to SPL’s statement and the ongoing fallout have been varied. Scottish
PEN said on Tuesday that it was disappointed, writing: “Free expression
is complex and any policy that ignores such complexity can stifle the
free expression of a range of stakeholders, most notably members of
marginalised communities.”
On Wednesday, more than 200 writers including author Lionel Shriver and comedian Graham Linehan put their names to an open letter of support
for the “unequivocal stance” of the SPL: “From universities to arts
organisations, libraries and government departments, the no-platforming
and bullying of anyone holding views not actively endorsing extreme
gender ideology is destroying our cultural life,” says the letter,
although the SPL had mentioned not gender. “Scotland has always been an
example of progressiveness in arts, education and culture, and we are
proud that the first stand against this aggressive chilling of
intellectual debate and thought has been taken by Scotland’s national
poetry library.”
The writers of Wednesday’s
open letter say that many of them have been forced to sign the letter
anonymously or under pseudonyms because “we are afraid for our
reputations, our jobs, our livelihoods … This is how deeply this
ideology has already travelled, that to speak against it is a danger,”
they write.
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