Lesbians disrupt ‘gender critical’ event: ‘You’re not feminists, you’re all clowns’
The Dyke Project protested at a Lesbian Project event (The Dyke Project)
The Dyke Project protested at a Lesbian Project event (The Dyke Project)
A group of LGBTQ+ activists dressed as clowns staged a protest at a gender critical group’s meeting in London.
On 25 June, members of The Dyke Project took action against a meeting of The Lesbian Project at University College London, chanting: “You’re not feminists, you’re all clowns”.
Video footage shows members of The Dyke Project dancing around the room as staff attempt to escort them from the space.
The Lesbian Project was launched on 9 March 2023 by gender critical activists Kathleen Stock and Julie Bindel, with tennis legend Martina Navratilova serving as a patron. All three are well-known for their views about the trans community.
The Lesbian Project describes itself as an initiative which “highlights and champions the experiences, insights and sensibilities of lesbians in all their diversity”, however many see it simply as a cover for further anti-trans campaigning rather than actually working to better the lives of lesbians.
When it was launched, Stock and Bindel spoke across the media – including LBC, Woman’s Hour, The Telegraph and GB News – to explain how they, and other lesbians, are being silenced and erased from society.
In one example, which caused outrage on social media, Bindel told GB News lesbians were being “lumped in” with “minor-attracted persons” in the “rainbow coalition”.
In a statement on The Dyke Project’s Instagram page, the group said of their demonstration at the event: “The Dyke Project today took action against a meeting of the “Lesbian Project” who want to segregate and erase trans people.
“We say: LESBIANS AGAINST THE EHRC. Those who cheer on the Supreme Court ruling and the EHRC guidance will be challenged.
“NOT IN OUR NAME: The Dyke Project will never let trans people be banned from using toilets, playing sport or getting changed in our name.
“A LOAD OF CLOWNS: The EHRC and their supporters are trying to push through guidance that is absurd and unworkable. It’s silly – they are the real clowns!
“We say: no women’s liberation without trans liberation. No L without the T.”
This is not the first time The Dyke Project has protested an event hosted by The Lesbian Project.
Back in March 2023, The Dyke Project demonstrated outside The Lesbian Project’s first event, hosted at the Mary Ward House Conference in central London.
Pictures of the crowded protest LGBTQ+ people and allies dancing and showing solidarity to trans people in the face of the exclusionary group.
A member of The Dyke Project, who asked to remain anonymous, told PinkNews at the time that the protest was part of an effort to prove that being trans-supportive is not being anti-lesbian.
“We’re here to show that dykes are thriving,” they said. “We’re a joyful and inclusive community and we won’t allow our trans siblings to be erased and excluded.
“Trans lesbians are lesbians, we are one community.”
Additionally, the anonymous member said they believed The Lesbian Project was an “explicitly trans-exclusionary organisation“.
