Graham Linehan ‘cisvestigates’ topless trans protestors: ‘Is there an actual woman in here?’

Gender-critical pundit Graham Linehan is ‘cisvestigating’ a picture of a group of topless trans women taken during a recent protest outside the Scottish parliament.

Protestors staged the demonstration outside the Scottish parliament building on Saturday (17 May) to voice their opposition to the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that the 2010 Equality Act’s definition of a woman excluded trans women.

Demonstrators claimed that Scottish ministers had “rolled over”, after Holyrood MSPs agreed that access to single-sex facilities in the building would be based on “biological sex”.

Irish comedy-writer Linehan took to X/Twitter to accuse one of the protestors of being cisgender.

Failing to clarify how he came to the conclusion, he shared an uncensored screenshot of the protest, asking his followers: “Is it just me, or is there an actual woman in here pretending to be a [trans woman]?” Claiming that the “men are easy to spot”, he didn’t identify which protestor he was talking about.

The act of determining a person’s gender identity through analysis of their body or mannerisms in photographic and video evidence is referred to as “transvestigating“. The conspiracy theory often uses sexist preconceptions of gender identity to accuse individuals, typically celebrities or influencers, of not being feminine or masculine enough. It is also based on the notion that being trans or non-binary is inherently a bad thing, and can result in further abuse for those subjected to it.

Celebrities who have been subjected to transvestigating include Taylor Swift, Michelle Obama, Paul McCartney, Brigitte Macron, Melania Trump and Jyoti Amge, the world’s shortest woman.

Trans people are usually not “cisvestigated” because the tactic is typically used by those who hold anti-trans beliefs.

Post branded a ‘self-own’ by trans influencer

Prominent trans influencer Katy Montgomerie called Linehan’s attempt at investigation a “self-own”, saying she “had to log on to Twitter to check with my own eyes” that the post was real.

Protestors said that the demonstration was a “public act of grief, resistance and solidarity”

Sugar, one of the protestors at the event who Linehan was likely referring to, said: “If the Supreme Court can see these women legally as men, then they’ll have zero issue with them going tops off.”

The Supreme Court’s ruling has raised concerns over its implications on UK law.

Interim guidance published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission called for the ban of trans people from all gendered toilets. While not legally enforceable, it has been used to justify anti-trans policies on single-sex facilities and could be used to justify anti-trans legislation.

Sugar told PinkNews it was “not just a setback of humanitarian rights”, but an “act of erasure”, adding: “It sends a truly saddening message that trans people’s fears, dignity and lives do not matter in the eyes of the Supreme Court. Trans voices were ignored in that decision.”