Poet turns back on Scot Govt-funded charity over ‘transphobia morality clause’

A Scottish poet has accused a national literacy charity in Scotland of attempting to silence free speech on trans issues.

Magi Gibson refused to sign the Scottish Book Trust’s new code of conduct in protest at the organisation’s “bureaucratic overreach” for suggesting opponents of transgender ideology are “bigoted”.

She told The Christian Institute: “I have only ever spoken up for free speech within the law on whatever topic an author chooses to broach. I take issue with the terms ‘bigot’ and ‘transphobic’ as they have been cheapened by over-use and inaccurate-use, their meaning is currently unstable, and they are therefore a poor basis for setting Code of Conduct standards.”

‘Weaponised’

In 2020-21, the Scottish Book Trust received 88 per cent of its total income — £4.3 million — from government grants. Events funded by the Scottish Book Trust’s ‘Live Literature’ programme can only be carried out by approved authors, all of whom must sign the Trust’s Code of Conduct.

We oppose all forms of bigotry, including (but not limited to) ableism, sexism, racism, transphobia, homophobia, ageism, classism, xenophobia, language discrimination and intolerance to people of any religion or faith. Scottish Book Club, ‘Code of Conduct’

In a letter to the Trust CEO Mark Lambert, Gibson said she was “deeply troubled” by the charity’s statement that it would not “tolerate bigotry and transphobia”.

She explained: “Certainly in the mode in which these terms were used many years ago I would have agreed. This is not many years ago, and you are using these terms as if there is still a safe, neutral application.

“Yet both these terms are weaponised day in, day out, not to achieve fairness and equality but simply to damage someone — usually a woman — who has legitimate beliefs protected under the Equality Act 2010.”

these terms are weaponised day in, day out

Free speech

Gibson announced: “I have refused to sign the Scottish Book Trust’s new Code of Conduct and am choosing free speech as a writer – even though I will lose much-needed income”.

I agree re good work done by Scottish Book Trust in past. And I have benefited- I was one of their first Reading Champions with Glasgow Women’s Library. But this is bureaucratic overreach into Morality Clause territory – and that should sound alarms for writers, and society. https://t.co/nGEByRpAda

— Magi Gibson (@MagiGibson) November 8, 2022

Magi Gibson was supported by children’s author Gillian Philip, who described the code as “an attempt to compel thought, belief and speech”.

In 2020, Philip was sacked from her role at media group Working Partners for defending Rowling’s views on transgenderism.

Philip expressed support for Rowling by adding the hashtag #IStandWithJKRowling to her Twitter handle. Soon afterwards, her employer announced that she would “no longer be writing” for the company.