Content warning: This story includes an incident of explicit transphobia that could make some readers feel uncomfortable.
Comedian Jen Ives has released a video showing the extreme transphobic abuse she received while attending a conference held by the LGB Alliance.
The LGB Alliance, which was formed in 2019, has continuously used its platform to “assert the rights of lesbians, bisexuals and gay men to define themselves as same-sex attracted” while excluding trans individuals.
It held its event at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London on 21 October last year, which was attended by the likes of gender-critical Labour MP Rosie Duffield and comedian Graham Linehan, who has likened using puberty blockers to Nazi eugenics programmes.
Guests saw panel discussions on topics about what they perceived to be the threat of “transgender ideology” and the importance of “free speech”.
At the time of the event, Ives spoke out about the incident on social media: “Amazing that GC’s who attended the LGB Alliance conference are choosing ‘straight up denial’ as their damage control tactic. you’re all gonna look pretty idiotic when security confirms the incident, i prove it, witnesses eventually come forward etc,” she wrote.
amazing that GC's who attended the LGB Alliance conference are choosing "straight up denial" as their damage control tactic. you're all gonna look pretty idiotic when security confirms the incident, i prove it, witnesses eventually come forward etc.
— 🅹🅴🅽 🅸🆅🅴🆂 (@jenivescomedian) October 22, 2021
The comedian, who is a bisexual trans woman, shared a video of what happened on 23 March which she said was “recorded by the perpetrator”.
In the clip, Ives can be heard being called a “pervert” and is repeatedly misgendered by the person shouting.
“Your religion isn’t welcome here,” Ives is told. “Your ideology is shit. Can you get this person out? This is a pervert that tried to use a female facility.”
A woman also told Ives that her attendance was “provocative” to those around her, among other things.
“The thing this video doesn’t demonstrate much, and is for me the most chilling aspect, is the sheer lack of empathy from the women surrounding me,” Ives wrote on Twitter. “They emboldened, supported and relished in my harassment & continued to victim blame me well afterwards.”
The LGB Alliance has consistently denied being transphobic and is a registered charity, a status which Mermaids is appealing against at a hearing this May.
“All LGB Alliance events including our annual conference are open to anyone, regardless of political views or affiliation,” a spokesperson for the group told GAY TIMES. “We are of course aware that issues such as sex-segregated facilities provoke very strong feelings on both sides of the debate, and we would like to thank the conference attendees and security team who stepped in to defuse the situation.”
FINALLY. Video footage surfaces (recorded by the perpetrator) of me being harassed at LGB Alliance conference. Am I a liar now, Graham Linehan, Rob Jessel, Bev Jackson etc. Look how long it takes QE2 security to get involved. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/ZoXyL14Tcr
— 🅹🅴🅽 🅸🆅🅴🆂 (@jenivescomedian) March 23, 2022
Galop is an LGBTQ+ charity there for those who have experienced abuse or have been the victim of a hate crime. They can be contacted Monday to Friday from 10am-4pm on 0207 7042040 or at HateCrime@galop.org.uk. You can find out more here.
GAY TIMES stands in solidarity with the trans+ community and we’d like to make clear to our readers that the lives, experiences and rights of trans people are not up for debate.
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