A number of award-winning writers have called for a Peer to be reinstated as Honorary Vice-President of the Booker Prize after she was removed from her position following accusations of ‘transphobia’ and ‘homophobia’.
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, whose late husband helped to found the literary prize, voted against same-sex marriage in 2013 and was accused of ‘misgendering’ a model who claims to be a woman.
Several female authors, including Susan Hill, a former judge of the award, have written a letter to Booker’s trustees, challenging them for participating in “cancel culture”. The letter has over 1,000 signatories.
Free speech
The writers said they were “dismayed” at the Booker Prize’s treatment of “a respected figure with long-standing ties to the Prize”, by allowing Baroness Nicholson “to be pilloried for an historic position taken because of her religious beliefs”.
Free expression matters
They accused its trustees of “applying moral standards differently to different people” and also stated on Twitter: “Free expression matters. Women matter. Literature should be a place where ideas, and words, are free.”
A spokeswoman for the Booker Prize Foundation claimed that it was the Baroness’s views on biology that led to her removal, not her historic opposition to same-sex marriage.
Sacked
Earlier this month, a bestselling children’s author was sacked after defending JK Rowling’s views on transgenderism.
Gillian Philip was removed from her role at Working Partners for adding the hashtag #IStandWithJKRowling to her Twitter handle.
The Harry Potter author has been repeatedly subjected to online abuse for criticising radical gender ideology.
Also see:
Artist expelled from studio after being branded ‘transphobic’
Harry Potter author refuses to give in to trans ‘culture of fear’