Liverpool’s anti-trans billboard is taken down by ad company
A billboard put up by an anti-trans group in Liverpool has been removed following a complaint to the advertising company that installed it.
The billboard, paid for by supporters of anti-trans group Standing For Women, stated the Google definition of a “woman” as an “adult human female” and was put up in Gredington Street in the Dingle area of the city on September 14.
However, the billboard was removed after doctor and LGBT+ activist Adrian Harrop made a complaint to Primesight, the business that put it up in the first place.
The billboard was taken down following a complaint from LGBT+ activist Adrian Harrop. (DrAdrianHarrop/Twitter)
Standing For Women regularly posts anti-trans content on social media and opposes the government’s proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act 2004, which is currently out for consultation.
The government has said it wants to de-medicalise the process to legally change genders, moving towards self-identification, which is used in other countries like the Republic of Ireland.
On Monday (September 24), Harrop tweeted to Primesight: “Are you aware that ‘Human Females’ – aka ‘Standing For Women’ – is a transphobic hate group, disguising itself in an adulterated version of feminism in order to spread its propaganda & hate speech w/ impunity?”
Primesight responded to Harrop the same day, posting a photo of a statement.
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We were unaware of the motive behind this campaign which was placed through our online automated booking system,” it read.
“At first glance, this copy did not raise a red flag the way it should have done. Hands up, we have been misled by this campaign’s messaging.
“Thanks to you, this campaign has been halted and the posters will be removed from our billboards as soon as possible.”
Primesight responded to Harrop on Twitter. (Direct_PS)
Primesight, which installs billboards for small and medium-sized business, added in the caption for the post: “As an update to the statement, we can now confirm that the posters will be removed this evening.”
The billboard was the latest example of anti-trans resistance in Liverpool, after a number of phallic-shaped stickers stating “women don’t have penises” were plastered across the Crosby Beach area by another anti-trans group called Liverpool ReSisters.
Responding to the billboard being removed, Kellie-Jay, a member of Standing For Women, told PinkNews: “I am disappointed that a NHS doctor would object so strongly to the definition of woman, however his Orwellian and misogynist response has lead to a huge swell in support for the campaign and so I am delighted at the predictable own goal.
“Woman have had enough of the malevolent and intentional erasure and we are saying no.”
On September 19, the city’s council approved a motion in support of trans people—with Mayor Joe Anderson defiantly showing solidarity with the trans community.
The cross-party motion was unanimously passed and states that the council believes “trans women are women” and that “there is no place in our city for hatred and bigotry.”
It proposed five points of action, including that the city’s street cleaners continue to any remove anti-trans stickers seen around Liverpool and that, on a scheduled weekend, for the town hall—and, where possible, other public buildings—to be lit up in the trans colours of blue, white and pink.
The “Standing With Our Trans Community” motion also requested that the council’s planning officers “actively encourage” developers and businesses to include individual gender-neutral toilets in public buildings.
Anderson also recently posted a photo of a transgender pride flag flying above Liverpool Town Hall, writing: “The #Transgender #pride Flag flying over the Town Hall today to show our support for the trans community in #Liverpool and around the world.”
Anderson flew a trans pride flag above Liverpool Town Hall. (mayor_anderson/Twitter)
And, at the council meeting, Anderson made an impassioned speech condemning the anti-trans action taken by Liverpool ReSisters, which also spoke at the event.
The motion was proposed by councillors Harry Doyle, Richard Kemp, Paul Kenyon, Anna Key, Lindsay Melia, Steve Radford and Hetty Wood.
“This council, or [rather] this chamber, have united against the behaviour of the ReSisters in defacing public art in what I believe to be, and I am proud to state, that was done in a hateful way,” Anderson said.
“And it resulted, not only in transgender groups, [but also] individuals, including me, councillor Doyle and others, being subjected to a torrent of abuse.”
He added: “That isn’t about equality. That isn’t about fairness. That isn’t about having an open and deep debate. That’s about bullying, and it’s about intimidation, and it’s about proposing hate against people that are different. That’s something that every single person in this council rejects.”
Anderson, whose speech was met with applause and a standing ovation from council members, also said he would not meet with Liverpool ReSisters until the group stopped its “abuse of members of this community that we respect, value and love.”
Anti-trans group Liverpool ReSisters recently distributed “women don’t have penises” stickers in the Crosby Beach area.(LiverpoolReSis1/Twitter)
As well as in Liverpool, anti-trans organisations have distributed similar “women don’t have penises” stickers in cities across the UK, including in London and Manchester.
In August, trans campaigners hit-out at anti-trans “bigots” after multiple “women don’t have penises” stickers were found across the capital, including on Stonewall’s office building.
