Anti-trans activist suspended from Labour Party after posting transphobic memes

A prominent anti-trans activist has reportedly been suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation into transphobic bullying and harassment.

Venice Allan, a 43-year-old from South London, has had her Labour Party membership suspended for reasons including posts on social media.

Allan is also known as ‘Dr Radfem’ and is highly vocal with her opposition to transgender rights.

Her social media feeds frequently feature transphobic memes and statements, which have included posts targeted at trans celebrities such as Paris Lees.

Taking to Twitter on Monday evening, Allan said that one of these transphobic memes was used in evidence against her in regards to her alleged suspension.

(Photo: @DrRadFem / Twitter)

She posted the meme in question, which she claimed was partially responsible for her suspension, on Twitter.

Allan then continued to say that she hoped she was suspended if the Labour Party continued to support trans rights.

“If stating that males are men means that Labour don’t want me, quite frankly I hope they chuck me out,” she said.

The meme in question (Photo: @DrRadFem /Twitter)

Speaking to PinkNews, Allan said that she was surprised by the claims of bullying whilst misgendering trans women as ‘trans identifying males.’

She said: “I’m very surprised that tweeting memes about famous men in politics and media, by an unknown single mother, is considered bullying and harassment.

“It is extraordinary that naming trans identifying males as men is so controversial and considered harmful.”

(Photo: Venice Allan /Facebook)

She continued: “A meme stating the simple biological truth, that ‘transwomen are men’ does not compare to the relentless harassment against myself which has included doxxing where I work, death threats and threats of violence, not to mention an overwhelming amount of misogynistic abuse.”

Allan then called being transgender ‘a men’s sexual rights movement’ and said she remains determined to campaign against trans inclusion after her suspension.

“This suspension from the Labour Party only makes me more determined to campaign on this issue,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Labour Party told PinkNews: “Last year new rules were introduced to toughen the Party’s stance against discrimination.

“This includes discrimination on the basis of gender identity. Allegations of abuse and discrimination are taken extremely seriously, investigated and acted upon if necessary.”

Another transphobic meme, featuring Paris Lees (Photo: @DrRadFem /Twitter)

Venice Allan has been involved in the organising of a national tour to discuss potential changes to the Gender Recognition Act, as well as running a regular vlog on trans issues.

Her online presence frequently attracts criticism, with her tweets frequently called “bigoted” and “hateful” by other Twitter users.

Allan is also one of the people involved in a recent campaign to eliminate transgender women from all-women shortlists, stating her alleged involvement in the Lewisham and Deptford constituency Labour Party (CLP.)

(GoFundMe)


A crowdfunding initiative began earlier this month to launch a legal challenge against the potential inclusion of trans women within the all-women shortlists.

There are zero openly transgender MPs in Parliament, but the campaigners have so far raised more than £18,000 to pursue legal action against the party, claiming that “transgender-identified males” were pushing “biological” women out of their roles.

(GoFundMe)

Over 1,000 people have contributed to the campaign, with several people using the names of prominent trans people and allies to falsely donate to the campaign.

As gender identity is a protected characteristic, it is likely that any legal challenge would fail immediately.

In response to the crowdfunding campaign, a Labour Party spokesperson told PinkNews: “All women shortlists in the Labour Party have always been open to all women, which of course includes trans women.”

The ‘Keep All Women Shortlists Female’ campaign has been condemned by several councillors and MPs.

Allan responds to her suspension (Photo: @DrRadFem / Twitter)

Related: What is a TERF and why should you be worried?

A meeting of the Labour Party’s national executive committee (NEC) is expected on Tuesday to clarify Labour’s policies regarding gender and self-identification.

Transgender campaigners have warned that restricting shortlists to women with female birth certificates or GRCs will force trans people to shell out hundreds of pounds in order to stand.

Last year Allan was removed from a Labour Party Christmas event as her views about transgender people made many attendees uncomfortable.

(Photo: @DrRadFem /Twitter)

Allan called her removal “an appalling, Orwellian betrayal of women” and quickly took to Twitter to discuss her the event.

Allan is one of many “feminists” who disguise their hatred of transgender people as fighting for women’s rights or simply being “gender critical”.

These are terms frequently used by trans exclusionary radical feminists (also known as TERF’s) who use feminist terms and the idea of women’s rights to target transgender people.

TERF’s claim that trans women are rapists waiting to happen, that they have mental health issues and that fundamentally they are not women.

This level of dehumanisation is morally wrong, and all too similar to the persecution that other minorities such as LGB people have faced in the past.

TERF’s frequently deny the right of transgender people to exist and are heavily critical of people who oppose their transphobia.