Féile an Phobail has pulled an event from its programme after becoming aware of the organising group’s anti-trans views. The West Belfast festival confirmed the cancellation on Tuesday, July 21, in a statement published on social media.
Taking place from July 25 to August 9, Féile an Phobail is labelled “Ireland’s biggest community arts festival”. It welcomes over 120,000 visitors to over 500 events, spanning inclusive arts, cultural and community-based activities.
The event in question was proposed by the Women’s Rights Network, which describes itself as being “committed to free speech and to putting the sex based needs of women and girls first”. In the values listed on its website, the group states that “sex is binary, female and male, and that sex is determined at conception”.
The festival team shared that they were “unaware from the initial submission that this event would promote campaigns against rights for the Transgender community”, adding, “Féile an Phobail takes pride in standing up for those who are marginalised and attacked.”
The statement continued: “Féile was formed in 1988 at a time when the community of West Belfast was being attacked and demonised, and as a positive response to that demonisation.
“In recent years Féile has organised discussion events with the Transgender community, providing a platform to raise issues of pressing concern, and we fully support the right of the Transgender community to be treated with equality and respect.
“On that basis, Féile an Phobail has informed the organiser of this event that we are withdrawing their event,” they confirmed.
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The statement received a positive response, with non-binary actor Lola Petticrew sharing, “classy classy and a lesson in engagement within community. Amazing. Other organisations could do with taking a leaf from your book.”
In light of the cancellation, Women’s Rights Network Northern Ireland released its own statement on social media, saying they are “shocked and deeply disappointed”. One of the respondents was J.K. Rowling, who shared that her fund, set up to support “women protecting their sex-based rights”, would “help with legal costs”.
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