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Angry trans rights protesters invaded and shut down a McGill University talk by a former student discussing how the trans movement infringes on women’s rights.
Protesters packed the hallway outside a classroom hosting a talk by Robert Wintemute, a professor of human rights law specializing in sexual orientation at Kings College, whom they accused of being associated with a “notoriously transphobic and trans-exclusive” group. The talk was eventually cancelled.
Wintemute was discussing how she feels women’s rights are infringed upon when they don’t speak up for themselves out of fear of intimidation from trans activists. He said CTV he had to ‘thank the protesters’ for proving the point of his speech.
Tuesday’s talk was hosted by the Center for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism (CHRLP) at McGill. The center said that inviting Wintemute to speak was not intended to endorse her views, but rather to serve as a platform for discussion on the issue.
Activists demonstrating outside the talk inside the Old Chancellor Day Hall at McGill University
Protesters packed the hallway outside a classroom hosting a talk by Robert Wintemute, a professor of human rights law at Kings College, whom they accused of being “notoriously transphobic and trans-exclusive.”
Footage from the scene showed protesters huddled in a hallway at Old Chancellor Day Hall in McGill.
They could be heard chanting ‘LGB, plus the T!’ and yelling obscenities at people trying to push their way through the crowd to speak.
The protest was organized by trans activist Celeste Trianon, who said she was “surprised, shocked and disgusted” by the topic of the talk.
“I feel there is such a tragic irony in someone who is actively working to dismantle human rights towards one of the most marginalized groups,” he told CTV. ‘How you can organize such an event at the McGill Center for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism’.
He added that the talk would lead to the deaths of trans people.
A protester holding a sign outside the Wintemute talk at McGill University on Tuesday.
Wintemute’s talk was called The Sex vs. Gender (Identity) Debate in the UK and the LGB Divorce of T.
The CHRLP website said it was intended to be a conversation about how easy it should be for transgender people to legally change their sex.
It also said that these are “exceptional situations, such as women-only venues and sports, in which an individual’s birth sex should take precedence over their gender identity, regardless of their legal sex.”
Wintemute called the reaction to his talk “hysterical” and said it proved his point that any debate on the subject is labeled “hate speech”.
“Probably most women in this country don’t agree with some of the transgender demands, but they refuse to say so because they will be seen as intolerant,” she said.
He also denied accusations that he had a phobia in any way and said that he has spent 37 years advocating for LGB rights. Much of his academic work focuses on sexual orientation.
Some of that work has been used by the LGB Alliance, a UK organization that advocates against trans rights. Some UK politicians have labeled it a hate group. Wintemute said he has never been associated with any group that “promotes hate.”
The protest was organized by trans activist Celeste Trianon, who said she was “surprised, shocked and disgusted” by the topic of the talk.
Protesters outside the Wintemute talk at McGill University on Tuesday
Protests outside the talk at McGill University on Tuesday
Protesters, McGill students, faculty and alumni penned an open letter expressing their disapproval of Wintemute’s claims that the trans movement tramples on women’s rights.
“Undermining the human rights of trans people does not benefit any member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, nor the feminist movement,” the letter said.
CHRLP professor Frédéric Mégret defended the decision to invite Wintemute to speak.
“Professor Wintemute has been a trustee of the LGB Alliance since 2021, but he is not invited in that capacity,” he told CTV.
‘We understand that these are not consensual issues. However, we believe that they can be productively and robustly discussed in an academic setting and, in fact, could be an opportunity to reject certain views.’