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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240318T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240318T213000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20240219T153139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240222T105954Z
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SUMMARY:Race\, Identity Politics and the New Conformity.
DESCRIPTION:Race\, identity politics and the new conformity  \nDATE: Monday 18th March  \nVENUE: The Hall\, The Art Workers’ Guild\, 6 Queen Square\, London WC1N 3AT  \nTIME: Event starts 7.30pm (doors open 7pm\, please arrive by 7.15pm).  \nFREE GLASS OF WINE ON ARRIVAL.  \nIN-PERSON TICKETS: FSU members £10. Non-FSU Members £16. Aged 25 and under £12. Discount tickets for Equiano Project Supporters (check emails for details). Ticket plus donation to the FSU £25.  \nTicket-holders only – NO NEED TO PRINT TICKETS\, WE’LL HAVE A LIST OF REGISTRANTS.  \nZOOM OPTION: Free to FSU members and Equiano Project Supporters (check emails for details).  Otherwise\, £10\, please register here. \nFor free and discounted tickets to FSU events\, consider joining the Free Speech Union today.  \n————  \nThe accusation ‘that’s racist’ has become one of the most powerful silencing tools in recent years\, yet we have never been so confused about what racism is. It has been thrown even at those avowedly opposed to racism and at people of colour\, insulted as ‘coconuts’\, ‘Uncle Toms’ or worse. Often\, the targets of the ‘racist’ slur are individuals who take issue with the new and bewildering orthodoxies of the new ‘anti-racist activism’ shaped by identity politics and ‘critical race theory’.  \nIt can sometimes seem as though contemporary ‘anti-racism’ has morphed into its opposite: from a movement for equal treatment and the transcendence of ‘race’ as a distorting prism through which to view the world\, to the formation of new hierarchies along the lines of racialised identities\, life experiences or even opinion.  \nThe launch of a new book\, Black Success: The Surprising Truth\, by Lord Tony Sewell\, a long-standing independent thinker on the subject of race\, provides us with an opportunity to discuss these developments. Lord Sewell’s book weaves together memoir and polemic to challenge the shibboleths of contemporary racialised thinking. He argues in favour of rejecting victimhood and low expectations and embracing high ambitions\, pushing towards a collective humanity. The book is the perfect riposte to the storm of criticism that met the Sewell Report on racial disparities.  \nThe book will be on sale on the night and Lord Sewell will be signing copies.  \nLord Sewell will be joined in discussion by journalist\, commentator and Equiano Project founder\, Inaya Folarin Iman and musician and champion of free speech and genuine equality\, Sean Corby.  \n  \nSpeakers  \nBorn in Brixton\, Lord Tony Sewell CBE has been a journalist\, teacher and education expert. He was part of the team responsible for driving the transformation of Hackney’s education outcomes in the early 2000s\, and his charity Generating Genius has helped hundreds of young black people into STEM in business and academia. He was recently chair of the UK’s government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities\, the recommendations of which are now the foundations of the government’s policy on tackling racial inequalities. He was awarded a CBE for his work on education and was elevated to the House of Lords in 2022. In 2022 he began his latest project\, a farming enterprise in Jamaica.  \n  \nInaya Folarin Iman is a broadcast journalist and contributing editor at the Daily Mail. She is a regular commentator across leading political and cultural radio and TV programmes. She is the Founder and Director of The Equiano Project\, a forum to promote freedom of speech and open dialogue on the subjects of race\, identity and culture. She co-programmed and co-designed the historic Towards the Common Good: Rethinking Race in the 21st Century at the University of Cambridge in 2023.  \n  \nSean Corby is a musician who has recorded and performed with the likes of Jah Wobble\, Gregory Isaacs\, Manic St Preachers\, Mica Paris\, and Jazz Warriors. Sean also worked as a conciliator for ACAS\, but\, after he posted articles and quotes on the staff intranet which challenged what he saw as the divisive racial politics of critical race theory\, some of his colleagues vilified him and his employer asked him to delete his contributions. Sean refused\, on principle\, and succeeded in establishing through a 2023 Employment Tribunal that a universalist\, colour-blind approach to anti-racism is a protected ‘philosophical belief’ under the Equality Act\, an important ruling for the protection of diversity of thought. You can read about Sean’s case here and subscribe to his blog here.  \nCHAIR:  \nDr Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union.  \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. Find out more here. 
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/race-identity-politics-and-the-new-conformity/
LOCATION:The Art Workers’ Guild\, 6 Queen Square\, London\, WC1N 3AT\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240304T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240304T203000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20240208T114301Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240229T103034Z
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SUMMARY:Online Book Launch with Abigail Shrier\, author of 'Irreversible Damage' and now\, 'Bad Therapy'.
DESCRIPTION:ONLINE BOOK LAUNCH: ABIGAIL SHRIER \nDATE: Monday 4th March\, 2024. \nTIME: 7pm\, GMT. \nVENUE: Zoom. \nTICKETS: Non-FSU Members can purchase an online ticket here. FSU Members should not use that link\, but instead use the link to register provided in Members-Only Weekly Newsletters and Events Updates. \nJOIN the Free Speech Union here to gain free access to the event. \nSPEAKERS: \nAbigail Shrier\, writer and author\, in conversation with Dr Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director\, the Free Speech Union and an academic sociologist of family life. \nWe are delighted to host the UK launch of Abigail Shrier’s new book\, Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up. \nMany of you will have read Abigail’s 2020 book\, Irreversible Damage: Teenage Girls and the Transgender Craze (UK title) and will have found its analysis of the explosion of ‘gender-questioning’ amongst adolescent girls profoundly insightful. On publication\, the book became the focus of cancellation campaigns by trans activists\, resulting in its temporary withdrawal from Target stores in the US\, resistance to its promotion from staff at Amazon and Spotify\, and even demands that it be burnt. Despite the book’s success\, publishers of foreign language translations of the book still bow to pressure to abandon the project\, most recently in Japan. \nUnderpinning Abigail’s work is a commitment to exploring significant new trends and taboos\, in particular where young people are concerned. In her new book\, she expands the lens to the younger generation as a whole\, asking whether the therapeutic approach towards the raising of children adopted over the past 20 or more years has done more harm than good. \nDescribed by the award-winning investigative journalist\, and author of Pharma\, Gerald Posner as a ‘dazzling combination of investigative reporting and storytelling’\, Bad Therapy opens up a dialogue about the questions many of us are trying to answer. \nHave the younger generation really turned against the hard-won freedoms of the past? Has the aspiration to grow up and achieve independence been abandoned by a ‘snowflake generation’? Who or what is responsible for the apparent gulf in values and personality norms between one generation and the next? \nAbigail Shrier is a writer for the Wall Street Journal. She holds an A.B. from Columbia College\, where she received the Euretta J. Kellett Fellowship; a BPhil. from the University of Oxford; and a J.D. from Yale Law School. \nYou can pre-order the book here.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/online-book-launch-with-abigail-shrier-author-of-irreversible-damage-and-now-bad-therapy/
LOCATION:Online Event: Zoom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240222T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240222T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20240125T170630Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240208T123204Z
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SUMMARY:Cambridge Speakeasy
DESCRIPTION:Net Zero or Not Zero: Can we debate climate change?\nThursday 22nd February\, 2024  \nPanel debate and Q and A from 7pm until 8.45pm\, social until 10pm.  \nThe Clayton Hotel\, Garden Suite\,  27-29 Station Road\, Cambridge\, CB1 2FB.  \n(A two-minute walk from Cambridge Station).  \nGET TICKETS: FSU Member £5. Non-FSU Member £10. Student £3.  \nPopular challenges to Net Zero targets are growing around the world. Most dramatically\, European farmers have blockaded city streets in their tractors\, but closer to home\, we have seen anti-ULEZ and anti-LTN protests taking place around the UK\, including Cambridge. But very often\, those who question national and global responses to climate change are traduced and stigmatised as ‘deniers’\, accused of being motivated by ignorance\, ideology or vested interests.   \nHow and why did the scientific study of climate become so politicised and why has this given rise to such rigid political and ideological orthodoxy?   \nThe launch\, in paperback\, of Ross Clark’s book Not Zero:  How an Irrational Target Will Impoverish You\, Help China (and Won’t Even Save the Planet) provides an ideal opportunity for these questions to be debated.  \nAbout the book: \n “devastating and detailed…compulsory reading for everybody in government and the media” Matt Ridley \n“a must-read for those involved in the climate debate” Emeritus Professor Michael Kelly\, former Prince Philip Professor of Technology at the University of Cambridge.  \nThe book will be on sale on the night and Ross will be signing copies.  \nOn Thursday 22nd February\, the Free Speech Union brings together a panel of speakers\, including Ross\, who insist that the science of climate change and policy responses to it must be open to debate and democratic accountability.  \nSpeakers confirmed so far:  \nRoss Clark is a prolific freelance journalist who is leader-writer on the Spectator as well as a columnist for the Telegraph\, Daily Mail and Express.  He is the author of several books including The Denial\, a satirical climate change novel\, and The War Against Cash. Follow Ross on X/Twitter: @RossjournoClark  \nHarry Wilkinson is head of policy at the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) and sister organisation Net Zero Watch. He is also a policy adviser to Craig Mackinlay MP\, who chairs the Net Zero Scrutiny Group in Parliament. Previously he was researcher to the late Nigel Lawson has written for a number of publications including CapX\, The Conservative Woman\, Global Vision and 1828. Follow Harry on X/Twitter: @HarryWilkinsonn  \nAustin Williams is the director of the Future Cities Project\, author of several books\, including “China’s Urban Revolution: Understanding Chinese Eco-cities”\, “Enemies of Progress: The Dangers of Sustainability”\, and co-author of “The Lure of the City: From Slums to Suburbs”. He is chair of Bookshop Barnies and has written for magazines as diverse as Nature\, Wired\, Top Gear\, South China Morning Post\, Metropolis\, Times Literary Supplement\, The Spectator and The Economist.. Follow Austin on X/ Twitter: @Future_Cities 
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/cambridge-speakeasy/
LOCATION:The Garden Suite\, Clayton Hotel Cambridge\, 27-29 Station Rd\,\, Cambridge\, Cambridge\, CB1 2FB
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions,Regional Speakeasies
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240203T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240203T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20231202T212029Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240208T123516Z
UID:10000066-1706985000-1706997600@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Manchester Speakeasy
DESCRIPTION:HOW TO STAND UP FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF THOUGHT \nDATE: Saturday 3rd February\, 2024 \nTIME: Doors and bar open 6.30pm. Live music from Sean Corby and Jonathan Enright at 7pm\, panel with Q & A starts 7.30pm\, social from 9pm. Ends 10pm. (Bar is card-only). \nVENUE: The Anthony Burgess Foundation\, Engine House\, Chorlton Mill\, 3 Cambridge Street\, Manchester\, M1 5BY. \nTICKETS: £5 for FSU members\, £8 for non-members\, £3 for students. \nSPEAKERS: \nToby Young\, general secretary of the Free Speech Union. \nDenise Fahmy\, co-director of Freedom in the Arts (FITA). \nSean Corby\, musician\, advocate for anti-racism and diversity of thought. \nJoin the founder and general secretary of the Free Speech Union\, Toby Young\, for an evening of conversation\, debate\, socialising and music. \nToby will be speaking to two heroes of the battle for free speech\, Denise Fahmy and Sean Corby. Both were supported by the Free Speech Union when they courageously challenged their employers\, proving in Employment Tribunals that views which challenge gender ideology and critical race theory are worthy of respect. By making a stand in defence of their beliefs they have succeeded in establishing in law that diversity of thought and freedom of speech must be protected in the workplace. \nSean is also a musician who has recorded and performed with the likes of Jah Wobble\, Gregory Isaacs\, Manic St Preachers\, Mica Paris\, and Jazz Warriors. We are delighted that he has agreed to play a short set from his repertoire with fellow musician\, Jonathan Enright. \nABOUT THE SPEAKERS: \nToby Young is the general secretary of the Free Speech Union\, a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. He co-founded the West London Free School and is the author of four books\, the best known of which is How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2001). He is an associate editor of the Spectator\, where he’s written a weekly column since 1998. He also runs a blog called DailySceptic.org that has received over 40 million page views. \nDenise Fahmy has 30 years’ experience in arts administration and development. She specialises in visual arts and for the past 15 years worked for Arts Council England as a Relationship Manager in the North of England. Denise worked at the Arts Council for more than 15 years and was the relationship manager for visual arts in the North of England. But she was subjected to harassment by fellow employees when she expressed gender critical beliefs in the context of a workplace meeting. The campaign against her culminated in a petition on the organisation’s online noticeboard in which her views were compared to racism and likened to a “cancer”. In June 2023\, Leeds Employment Tribunal found that the Arts Council had not adequately protected Denise from harassment. Her successful claim followed the precedent set by the 2021 court victory of Maya Forstater\, which established that the belief that there are two sexes is protected under the Equality Act 2010. The decision is here and Denise explains what happened to her here. \nSean Corby is a musician who has recorded and performed with the likes of Jah Wobble\, Gregory Isaacs\, Manic St Preachers\, Mica Paris\, and Jazz Warriors. Sean also worked as a conciliator for ACAS\, but\, after he posted articles and quotes on the staff intranet which challenged what he saw as the divisive racial politics of critical race theory\, some of his colleagues vilified him and his employer asked him to delete his contributions. Sean refused\, on principle\, and succeeded in establishing through a 2023 Employment Tribunal that a universalist\, colour-blind approach to anti-racism is a protected ‘philosophical belief’ under the Equality Act\, an important ruling for the protection of diversity of thought. You can read about Sean’s case here and subscribe to his blog here. \nSean will perform with Jonathan Enright. Jonathan was born and raised in Halifax\, West Yorkshire and studied trombone and piano at the Royal College of Music\, London. He has performed and recorded with many musicians\, including: Gregory Isaacs\, Dennis Brown\, Tito Allen\, Joe Bataan\, Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers\, Kathryn Williams\, Peggy Seeger\, Elbow\, Omar\, DJ Henry Fong\, The Disruptors. He leads\, plays and composes for successful Latin bands\, Grupo X and Orchestra Mambo International. \nJOIN the FSU to get discounts at all events. \nMembers receive free speech support and discounts for live events as well as exclusive access to online content\, so do consider joining the Free Speech Union.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/140585/
LOCATION:The Anthony Burgess Foundation\, 3 Cambridge Street\, Manchester\, Greater Manchester\, M1 5BY\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240126T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240126T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20231202T210756Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240126T123042Z
UID:10000064-1706293800-1706306400@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Belfast Speakeasy
DESCRIPTION:THE STATE OF FREE SPEECH IN NORTHERN IRELAND\nA Free Speech Union Speakeasy\, in association with the Battle of Ideas Festival.\nDATE: Friday 26th January\, 2024 \nTIME: Doors and bar open 6.30pm. Panel with Q & A\, 7pm until 8.30pm\, followed by social. Ends 10pm. \nVENUE: Drawing Office One and Pavilion Bar\, Titanic Hotel\, 8 Queens Road\, Belfast\, Northern Ireland\, BT3 9DT. \nTICKETS: £6 for FSU members\, £10 for non-members\, £3 for students. \nJoin us for the Free Speech Union’s first Northern Ireland Speakeasy. On Friday 26th January we’ll be hosting a stellar panel to consider The State of Free Speech in Northern Ireland\, covering everything from hate speech to press freedom\, from the attempted silencing of women’s rights campaigners to digital censorship and compelled speech. Organised in association with the Battle of Ideas festival\, the evening is your chance to hear from great speakers\, to get your voice heard on free speech issues and to meet other free speech enthusiasts. \nSPEAKERS \nToby Young\, general secretary of the Free Speech Union. \nStella O’Malley\, psychotherapist and writer. \nDavid Quinn\, journalist and commentator\, founder of The Iona Institute. \nJeffrey Dudgeon\, politician\, campaigner and author. \nElla Whelan\, journalist and author\, co-convenor the Battle of Ideas festival. \nSimon Chambers\, solicitor in the ‘TERFed Out’ case and ‘Sara Morrison vs Belfast Film Festival’. \n*Andrew Doyle has had to step down due to other commitments. \nToby Young is the general secretary of the Free Speech Union\, a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. He co-founded the West London Free School and is the author of four books\, the best known of which is How to Lose Friends & Alienate People. He is an associate editor of the Spectator\, where he’s written a weekly column since 1998. He also runs a blog called DailySceptic.org that has received over 40 million page views. \nStella O’Malley is a psychotherapist\, writer\, public speaker and parent\, with many years’ experience working as a mental health professional. She has written several books\, Cotton Wool Kids\, Bully-Proof Kids\, Fragile and What Your Teen is Trying To Tell You and co-authored the recent When Kids Say They’re Trans. Born in Dublin\, Stella now lives in Co. Offaly with her husband and two children where she runs her private clinical practice. \nDavid Quinn has been a newspaper columnist in Ireland since 1994. Currently he writes a weekly column the Sunday Independent. His column has previously appeared in the Sunday Times (Ireland)\, the Irish Independent and the Sunday Business Post. He frequently appears on radio and television programmes and has contributed to numerous publications overseas\, including the Spectator and UnHerd. He has appeared on ‘Free Speech Nation’ with Andrew Doyle discussing free speech issues in the Republic of Ireland. He is founder and CEO of The Iona Institute. \nJeffrey Dudgeon has held office in the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association (NIGRA) since its foundation in 1975 and has led landmark campaigns for gay rights and personal freedom. He was awarded an MBE in the 2012 Honours List for “services to the lesbian\, gay\, bisexual and transgender community in Northern Ireland.” Between 2014 and 2019 he served as an Ulster Unionist Councillor to Belfast City Council and was chair of the council’s Diversity Working Group. He has written books on Roger Casement (2002) and H. Montgomery Hyde (2018). \nElla Whelan is a journalist and author of What Women Want: Fun\, Freedom and an End to Feminism. Ella is a columnist for spiked and regularly appears on TV and radio\, including ‘Question Time’\, ‘Today’\, Times Radio\, Sky News\, GMB\, GB News\, ‘Any Questions’\, ‘Moral Maze’\, ‘Politics Live’\, Channel 4 and others. She has written for The Critic\, New Statesman\, Telegraph\, Sunday Times\, The Economist\, the Irish Times\, the Sun\, Spectator. \nSimon Chambers has been practising as a litigation specialist and “problem solver” for nearly 25 years and is based just outside Belfast in Newtownards at Russell and Company Solicitors. Simon also practises in Family and Criminal law\, conveyancing and commercial matters. He is a member of the Law Society Council. Simon is no stranger to high profile litigation\, having made his name representing over 150 Northern Irish families\, who successfully recovered their money after investing in fraudulent Italian property schemes run by the Calabrian mafia and the IRA\, carving out an international reputation in this field. Always with his ear to the ground as to prevailing legal trends\, Simon enjoys the challenge of ground-breaking cases and attracts clients from far and wide to his door. Since taking on these two gender critical cases\, Simon’s interest of freedom of speech\, belief and expression have been greatly heightened and he has been declared an honorary ”TERF” by his clients! \nJOIN the FSU to get discounts at all events. \nMembers receive free speech support and discounts for live events as well as exclusive access to online content\, so do consider joining the Free Speech Union.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/140580/
LOCATION:Titanic Hotel\, Belfast\, Titanic Quarter\, 8 Queens Road\, Belfast\, Antrim\, BT3 9DT\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231220T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231220T223000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20231005T120520Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231005T120815Z
UID:10000059-1703098800-1703111400@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:FSU Christmas Comedy Special 2023
DESCRIPTION:The FSU Christmas Comedy Special\nBOOK TICKETS HERE. \nWednesday 20th December\, please arrive by 7pm. \nBackyard Comedy Club\, Bethnal Green\, London \nRound up your comedy-loving friends and family for The FSU Christmas Special\, a one night only extravaganza of comedy with a fabulous line-up. \nIn association with Comedy Unleashed – the home of free-thinking comedy.  \nOur Master of Ceremonies for the evening is FSU favourite\, Dominic Frisby. Dominic will be joined on stage by Daniel O’Reilly\, Tania Edwards\, Alistair Williams and Triggernometry’s Francis Foster. \n  \nDominic Frisby \nDominic is a libertarian version of Billy Bragg (with a sense of humour). He tells jokes\, he sings songs and he will be our excellent compere for the evening. Creator of internet sensation ’17 million f*** offs’ and writer of hilarious songs that satirise our bonkers culture\, including the recent ‘Gonna Mary Gary’. \nDaniel O’Reilly \nDaniel had his ITV show cancelled back in 2014\, when he was known as Dapper Laughs. Recently he’s been selling out shows with his new stand-up comedy and been a special guest at the Tyson Fury after fight party at the O2. \nAlistair Williams  \nExcluded from most comedy clubs and banned from YouTube\, Alistair Williams is utterly counter-cultural and bloody hilarious. Alistair did a gig at the London club recently and we were inundated with requests to put him on again. Here’s clip of Alistair at the London club \nTania Edwards \nTania is an utterly middle-class sceptic of middle-class sensibilities and ‘right-thinking’ groupthink. She is a popular comic at the London Comedy Unleashed club. \nFrancis Foster \nFrancis is the co-host of popular YouTube and podcast TRIGGERNomentry and guest of GB New’s ‘Free Speech Nation’. He’s a top stand-up comic too. Here’s a clip of Francis at the London club \nJoin the fun with the FSU team and helps us raise funds to defend freedom of speech. \nTickets  \n£20 FSU member full price / £15 FSU member concessions  \n£25 non-member full price / £20 non-member concessions \nRefunds issued on a case-by-case basis. \nBackyard Comedy Club is only a 2-minute walk from Bethnal Green tube (Central line)\, 10 minutes from Whitechapel (District line\, Hammersmith & City line\, London Overground). Five minute walk from Cambridge Heath and Bethnal Green Overground stations. \nBUS ROUTES \n254\, 106 & N253 – Outside Venue \n8\, 309\, 388\, D3\, D6 & N8 – 5 min walk \n25\, 26\, 48\, 55\, N26 & N55 – 10 min walk \nPARKING: \nStreet parking is available on Cambridge Heath Rd. (Pay & Display before 6.30pm) \nSAT NAV: \nUse – ‘Witan St’\, Bethnal Green\, London. E2
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/fsu-christmas-comedy-special-2023/
LOCATION:The Backyard Comedy Club\, 231 Cambridge Heath Rd\, London\, E2 0EL\, United Kingdom
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231202T080000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231202T170000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20231202T212029Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240208T123516Z
UID:10000065-1701504000-1701536400@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Manchester Speakeasy
DESCRIPTION:HOW TO STAND UP FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF THOUGHT \nDATE: Saturday 3rd February\, 2024 \nTIME: Doors and bar open 6.30pm. Live music from Sean Corby and Jonathan Enright at 7pm\, panel with Q & A starts 7.30pm\, social from 9pm. Ends 10pm. (Bar is card-only). \nVENUE: The Anthony Burgess Foundation\, Engine House\, Chorlton Mill\, 3 Cambridge Street\, Manchester\, M1 5BY. \nTICKETS: £5 for FSU members\, £8 for non-members\, £3 for students. \nSPEAKERS: \nToby Young\, general secretary of the Free Speech Union. \nDenise Fahmy\, co-director of Freedom in the Arts (FITA). \nSean Corby\, musician\, advocate for anti-racism and diversity of thought. \nJoin the founder and general secretary of the Free Speech Union\, Toby Young\, for an evening of conversation\, debate\, socialising and music. \nToby will be speaking to two heroes of the battle for free speech\, Denise Fahmy and Sean Corby. Both were supported by the Free Speech Union when they courageously challenged their employers\, proving in Employment Tribunals that views which challenge gender ideology and critical race theory are worthy of respect. By making a stand in defence of their beliefs they have succeeded in establishing in law that diversity of thought and freedom of speech must be protected in the workplace. \nSean is also a musician who has recorded and performed with the likes of Jah Wobble\, Gregory Isaacs\, Manic St Preachers\, Mica Paris\, and Jazz Warriors. We are delighted that he has agreed to play a short set from his repertoire with fellow musician\, Jonathan Enright. \nABOUT THE SPEAKERS: \nToby Young is the general secretary of the Free Speech Union\, a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. He co-founded the West London Free School and is the author of four books\, the best known of which is How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2001). He is an associate editor of the Spectator\, where he’s written a weekly column since 1998. He also runs a blog called DailySceptic.org that has received over 40 million page views. \nDenise Fahmy has 30 years’ experience in arts administration and development. She specialises in visual arts and for the past 15 years worked for Arts Council England as a Relationship Manager in the North of England. Denise worked at the Arts Council for more than 15 years and was the relationship manager for visual arts in the North of England. But she was subjected to harassment by fellow employees when she expressed gender critical beliefs in the context of a workplace meeting. The campaign against her culminated in a petition on the organisation’s online noticeboard in which her views were compared to racism and likened to a “cancer”. In June 2023\, Leeds Employment Tribunal found that the Arts Council had not adequately protected Denise from harassment. Her successful claim followed the precedent set by the 2021 court victory of Maya Forstater\, which established that the belief that there are two sexes is protected under the Equality Act 2010. The decision is here and Denise explains what happened to her here. \nSean Corby is a musician who has recorded and performed with the likes of Jah Wobble\, Gregory Isaacs\, Manic St Preachers\, Mica Paris\, and Jazz Warriors. Sean also worked as a conciliator for ACAS\, but\, after he posted articles and quotes on the staff intranet which challenged what he saw as the divisive racial politics of critical race theory\, some of his colleagues vilified him and his employer asked him to delete his contributions. Sean refused\, on principle\, and succeeded in establishing through a 2023 Employment Tribunal that a universalist\, colour-blind approach to anti-racism is a protected ‘philosophical belief’ under the Equality Act\, an important ruling for the protection of diversity of thought. You can read about Sean’s case here and subscribe to his blog here. \nSean will perform with Jonathan Enright. Jonathan was born and raised in Halifax\, West Yorkshire and studied trombone and piano at the Royal College of Music\, London. He has performed and recorded with many musicians\, including: Gregory Isaacs\, Dennis Brown\, Tito Allen\, Joe Bataan\, Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers\, Kathryn Williams\, Peggy Seeger\, Elbow\, Omar\, DJ Henry Fong\, The Disruptors. He leads\, plays and composes for successful Latin bands\, Grupo X and Orchestra Mambo International. \nJOIN the FSU to get discounts at all events. \nMembers receive free speech support and discounts for live events as well as exclusive access to online content\, so do consider joining the Free Speech Union.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/140585/
LOCATION:The Anthony Burgess Foundation\, 3 Cambridge Street\, Manchester\, Greater Manchester\, M1 5BY\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231129T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231129T213000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20231019T142434Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231019T142434Z
UID:10000062-1701282600-1701293400@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:FSU South West Regional Speakeasy
DESCRIPTION:South West Regional Speakeasy\n‘DECOLONISATION’: Freeing our minds or dangerous groupthink?\nWednesday 29th November  \nThe Hall\, Stepcote Hill\, Exeter\, EX1 1BD. \n[Please note that while the venue is fully accessible inside\, it can only be reached via a steep cobbled street\, which may cause issues for people with mobility issues\, the venue provides more information here.] \nDoors open 6.30pm\, discussion 7pm until 8.30pm\, bar open until 9.45pm. \nTickets are £5 for FSU members\, £8 for non-members\, £3 for students.  \nJOIN the FSU to get discounts at all events. \nMembers receive free speech support and discounts for live events as well as exclusive access to online content\, so do consider joining the Free Speech Union.  \nThe project to ‘decolonise’ knowledge may have begun in universities but it has since spread to many more areas of life: public libraries\, medicine\, engineering\, art galleries and museums\, architecture\, sport\, fashion and beauty\, even cooking and gardening. At the more explicitly political end of the spectrum\, demands to ‘decolonise’ are now central to radical protest movements\, whether directed at institutions such as the police or nation states. \nWhat does ‘decolonisation’ actually mean and why has it become such a popular demand now\, in the 21st century\, when the ‘age of empire’ is fading from living memory? In the universities\, is it a way of broadening our knowledge by undoing the prejudices and blindspots of the past or does it condemn valuable cultural heritage to the dustbin of history and narrow our thinking in new and different ways? In the wider world\, does ‘decolonising’ help to identify and undermine power structures or is it a binary worldview that divides the world into overly simplistic categories of good and evil: oppressed and oppressor\, colonised and coloniser\, black and white? \nIn his new book Against Decolonisation: Campus Culture Wars and the Decline of the West\, Professor Doug Stokes of the University of Exeter unpacks and challenges the decolonisation project\, arguing that rather than being a truth-seeking movement with the goal of liberation\, it is instead a one-sided attack on Western history which risks throwing the baby of civilisation out with the bathwater of inequality. \nDoug will discuss his book with Alka Sehgal Cuthbert\, a longstanding anti-racist campaigner who has become increasingly concerned that we are seeing ever more divisive thinking that risks destroying the gains we have made. \nBoth speakers are strong advocates of free speech and will consider the implications of ‘decolonising’ for open thinking and free expression. \nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \nDoug’s book will be on sale on the night and he will be signing copies during the social. \n\nSPEAKERS: \nDoug Stokes is Professor in International Security at the University of Exeter\, and senior adviser to the Legatum Institute. He writes regularly for international media including the Spectator\, Daily Telegraph and the Times on issues ranging from global security to the culture wars and academic freedom. His new book is called Against Decolonisation: Campus Culture Wars and the Decline of the West (Polity Press\, 2023). Follow Doug on X/Twitter: @profdws  \nDr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert has worked in education as a teacher\, lecturer and education adviser for over 20 years. She is co-author of What Should Schools Teach? Disciplines\, subjects and the pursuit of truth\,  and is director of the campaign group Don’t Divide Us.  \nCHAIR: \nDr Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director\, the Free Speech Union. Before joining the staff of the Free Speech Union\, she worked as an academic sociologist\, studying parenting\, family life\, intimacy and reproductive health.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/fsu-south-west-regional-speakeasy/
LOCATION:The Hall\, Exeter\, Stepcote Hill\, Exeter\, EX1 1BD\, United Kingdom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231123T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231123T203000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20231109T153935Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231109T153935Z
UID:10000063-1700766000-1700771400@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT: FREE SPEECH AND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST IN THE CURRENT MOMENT.
DESCRIPTION:GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT: FREE SPEECH AND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST IN THE CURRENT MOMENT \nIN-PERSON BY INVITATION-ONLY \n ONLINE for FSU MEMBERS (REGISTER USING ZOOM LINK IN MEMBER NEWSLETTERS) \nSince the massacre committed by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7th\, public spaces around the United Kingdom have seen an upsurge in pro-Palestinian political protests. While many demonstrators seek to express their sympathy with ordinary Palestinians\, a number seem to have greeted Hamas’s atrocities as inspiration for ‘jihad’. \nAs a result\, British Jews have experienced an unprecedented spike in antisemitic abuse and attacks\, with many reporting that they fear venturing out in public\, sending their children to school or even attending vigils for those still held hostage by Hamas. \nWhile the Home Secretary has been criticised for labelling pro-Palestinian protests ‘hate marches’\, the police have been criticised for failing to arrest those endorsing terrorism or expressing anti-Jewish hatred. The Met\, in particular\, has come under fire for preventing actions by Jews and their allies\, such as a prayer walk in north London and the driving of digital billboards showing images of Israeli child-hostages through Parliament Square. \nOn Thursday 23rd November\, the Free Speech Union will host a panel of eminent legal experts to grapple with the question of how the law should balance the right of protestors to express their views with the right of British Jews to go about their daily lives without feeling threatened. \n\nAre current laws adequate or do we need stronger laws against the expression of support for extremist groups?\nAre the police failing to act ‘without fear or favour’?\nHow can we ensure that robust legal protections for free speech survive the current crisis?\n\nConfirmed speakers: \nLord Ken Macdonald KC \nFormer Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald is one of the country’s leading criminal\, regulatory and international lawyers. In 2007 he was knighted for services to the law and in 2010 appointed to the House of Lords\, where he sits as a crossbencher. He was a Visiting Professor of Law at the London School of Economics from 2009-2012 and he has been a member of the University of Oxford Law Faculty since 2012. He is Chair of the Orwell Foundation\, President of the Howard League for Penal Reform and was Warden of Wadham College Oxford from 2012 to 2021. \nJonathan Hall KC \nJonathan Hall KC is a barrister and was appointed as the UK’s 4th Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation in 2019. As Independent Reviewer he has so far published four lengthy annual reports on terrorism legislation in the UK\, and three standalone reports on managing released terrorism offenders\, terrorism in prisons\, and the use of Schedule 7 powers against a French publisher in 2023. All his reports\, notes\, and speeches are publicly available at https://terrorismlegislationreviewer.independent.gov.uk and published via @terrorwatchdog. \nBryn Harris \nBryn Harris has worked as chief legal counsel of the Free Speech Union since 2020\, participating in some of the UK’s foremost legal cases and policy debates concerning freedom of speech. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2018\, and before that he did a doctorate in classics at the University of Oxford. He has a particular interest in the law and practice surrounding academic freedom of speech. \nChair : Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union. \nThe event will be filmed but the audience will not appear on camera. \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass-membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. You can find out more about us here. \nThe Free Speech Union \nwww.freespeechunion.org
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/getting-the-balance-right-free-speech-and-the-right-to-protest-in-the-current-moment/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231116T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231116T213000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20231019T140632Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231019T140647Z
UID:10000061-1700159400-1700170200@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Free Speech Cambridge
DESCRIPTION:PARTNER EVENT \nOn Thursday 16th November\, 2023 our friends at Free Speech Cambridge will be hosting author Laura Dodsworth\, to talk about her work\, in particular her new book\, Free Your Mind: The must-read expert guide on how to identify techniques to influence you and how to resist them. Tickets are free\, but you must reserve a spot here.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/free-speech-cambridge/
LOCATION:The Potting Shed at The Waterman\, 32 Chesterton Road\, Cambridge\, CB4 3AX\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Partner Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231028T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231029T190000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230914T103344Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T130630Z
UID:10000057-1698487200-1698606000@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Battle of Ideas Festival
DESCRIPTION:BATTLE OF IDEAS festival 2023 TICKETS ON SALE NOW: GET YOUR SPECIAL FSU DISCOUNT!  \nBattle of Ideas festival returns to Church House\, Westminster on 28 & 29 October. As ever the festival motto is: ‘Free speech allowed\, free thinkers welcome’. There’s plenty to discuss\, from the cultural and corporate wars on free speech to the rise of apocalyptic thinking around climate change or artificial intelligence. There will be debates on the continuing upsurges in populism and the crises in the arts world and schools – plus much more across 100+ sessions. With an election likely to come in 2024\, but party politics suffering from a vacuum of ideas\, this is the festival that goes beyond left and right to bring together critics\, thinkers\, campaigners and the public itself. Join in to shape the future through public debate.\n  \nThe FSU will be there all weekend with our stall and will be partnering on this session on Saturday\, Online Censorship: An International Clampdown? as part of the Free Speech Strand.   \nFSU members can get 20% off weekend standard\, weekend concession\, one-day standard\, one-day concession by using the link supplied in Events emails and the weekly newsletter.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/battle-of-ideas-festival-2/
LOCATION:Church House\, Westminster\, Great Smith Street\,\, London\, SW1P 3AZ\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Partner Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20231025T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20231025T210000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230914T105621Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231019T142624Z
UID:10000054-1698260400-1698267600@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:FSU Edinburgh Speakeasy: Can Words Really Hurt?
DESCRIPTION:Can Words Really Hurt?\nA philosophical\, legal and common sense conversation.\nAlmost two and a half years after achieving royal assent\, Scotland’s controversial Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act is due to be implemented in 2024. It was reported recently that Police Scotland are setting up a special unit to deal with the new hate crimes that are now codified in law and training is underway of police officers. Widespread concern about the chilling effect on free speech of this legislation was one of the reasons for setting up a dedicated Free Speech Union office in Scotland back in 2021.   \nAlthough the new legal framework is only now being implemented\, there has clearly been a profound shift in the past decade in the way we understand the power of words. This event will take a step back and ask\, how did attempts to police the emotion of ‘hate’ come about? What underpins the changed legal framework whereby words can be understood as a cause of ‘harm’? We bring together an expert panel who have not only thought deeply about these issues but have also been actively involved in shaping public debate in defence of free speech.  \nAbout the Speakers  \nHolly Lawford-Smith is an Associate Professor in Political Philosophy in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. She is an Editorial Board member for the Journal of Political Philosophy and the Journal of Controversial Ideas. Her latest book\, Sex Matter: Essays in Gender Critical Philosophy addresses a cluster of related questions that arise from the conflict of interests between rights based on sex and rights based on gender identity\, including questions such as\, is ‘TERF’ a slur and is gender-critical speech ‘hate speech’?  \n Kapil Summan is the editor of Scottish Legal News\, a daily news service for lawyers and is on the Advisory Council of Free Speech Union in Scotland.  \nDr Michael Foran is a lecturer in Public Law at the University of Glasgow. He is an expert in constitutional\, equality\, and non-discrimination law. His PhD thesis\, “Equality Before the Law: Equal Dignity\, Wrongful Discrimination and the Rule of Law” won the Yorke Prize from the University of Cambridge and will be published this December.  \nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters.  \nWednesday 25th October  \nThe Counting House\, 34 West Nicolson St\, Newington\, Edinburgh EH8 9DD. \nPanel debate 7pm – 8.45pm\, (doors open 6.30pm)\, bar open until 10pm. \nTICKETS are £5 for FSU members\, £10 for non-members.  \nJOIN the FSU to get discounts at all events. \n 
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/edinburgh-speakeasy-can-words-really-hurt/
LOCATION:The Counting House\, 38 West Nicolson Street\, Edinburgh\, EH8 9DD\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231016T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231016T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230927T125513Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231005T124327Z
UID:10000058-1697482800-1697493600@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:What is Indoctrination within Education and How Can it be Avoided?
DESCRIPTION:UNCANCELLED DEBATE  \nWhat is indoctrination within education and how might it be avoided?  \nDebate featuring academic and campaigner Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert and an expert panel of educators.  \nOn Saturday 23rd September\, Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert was due to speak on a panel at the Rethinking Education conference in London\, debating how we should distinguish education from indoctrination. However\, two days before the event\, Dr Sehgal Cuthbert was notified by the organisers that a handful of delegates had expressed concerns that their ‘psychological safety’ would be undermined by being in her presence\, due to the campaigning work of her organisation Don’t Divide Us (DDU). DDU researches and challenges the divisive effect of identity politics in education and other policy fields.   \nRather than explaining to the complainants that the purpose of the event was to debate challenging educational questions and that no ‘safety’ issues\, psychological or otherwise\, would be posed by Dr Cuthbert or any of the other speakers\, the organisers decided to deplatform her. Commendably\, her fellow panellists withdrew from the event in solidarity and the debate was cancelled. The story hit the newspapers over the weekend and the Free Speech Union wrote to the conference organisers\, urging them to respect free speech and reconsider their decision. After the conference had taken place\, the organisers issued an apology to Dr Sehgal Cuthbert\, but it was too late for those who wished to hear an open debate on such a contested topic.   \nWe are therefore delighted to announce that Alka\, and all three of her fellow panellists\, have agreed to speak at an alternative event\, organised by the Free Speech Union in partnership with Don’t Divide Us.  \nYou can read a statement by Dr Sehgal Cuthbert here. \nThe debate will go ahead on Monday 16th October at 7pm.   \nWhat is indoctrination within education and how might it be avoided?   \nAmidst growing controversy over race\, sex and gender education\, the Department for Education (DfE) last year issued new guidance on indoctrination. It reminded schools of the legal requirement to offer a “balanced presentation” of “political issues” and argued that parents expect pupils to form their opinions “without being influenced by the personal views of those teaching them.”   \nSadly\, the DfE’s guidance has not calmed the storm. The government’s critics have accused it of hypocrisy\, pointing out that it expects teachers to “actively promote” British Values. Simultaneously\, the campaign group Don’t Divide Us has launched a popular petition\, calling on schools to stop teaching children that they “either have ‘white privilege’ or ‘black oppression’”. Yet at same time many believe that schools should be positively influencing the young. The National Education Union\, for example\, argues that teachers simply must challenge students’ “oppressive racial norms and assumptions”.   \nSo\, what is the difference between education and indoctrination? And how might teachers positively influence the young whilst avoiding indoctrination?   \nAbout the Panel   \nDr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert has worked in education as a teacher\, lecturer and education adviser for over 20 years. She is co-author of ‘What Should Schools Teach? Disciplines\, subjects and the pursuit of truth’\, and is director of the campaign group Don’t Divide Us.   \nToby Marshall is a teacher of film studies and member of the Academy of Ideas Education Forum. He has taught film studies and other subjects in Essex and East London for 20 years\, working successfully with both GCSE resit\, A-level and degree level students. He blogs at: https://tobymarshall.substack.com/   \nDr Ruth Wareham is Lecturer in Philosophy of Education at the University of Birmingham and Education Policy Researcher at Humanists UK.   \nJohn Marrill teaches Modern History and Politics at Strode’s Sixth Form College\, Egham\, Surrey\, where he is also the Gifted and Talented Coordinator.   \nCHAIR: Dr Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director\, the Free Speech Union. Before joining the staff of the Free Speech Union\, she worked as an academic sociologist\, studying parenting\, family life\, intimacy and reproductive health.   \nDATE: Monday 16th October 2023   \nVENUE: The Theatre\, The October Gallery\, 24 Old Gloucester Street\, London WC1N 3AL   \nTIME: 7pm (doors open 6.30pm) FREE GLASS OF WINE ON ARRIVAL.   \nTicket-holders only – NO NEED TO PRINT TICKETS\, WE’LL HAVE A LIST OF REGISTRANTS.   \nIN-PERSON TICKETS HERE: FSU members £8. Non-FSU Members £10.  \nONLINE REGISTRATION: Free and open to all\, please register here.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/what-is-indoctrination-within-education-and-how-can-it-be-avoided/
LOCATION:October Gallery\, 24 Old Gloucester St\, London\, WC1N 3AL\, United Kingdom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20231009T200000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20231009T223000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230914T112614Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230929T125531Z
UID:10000055-1696881600-1696890600@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:LIVE! In conversation: Nigel Farage and Toby Young
DESCRIPTION:Come along for a special late-night event in a great venue\, to hear FSU General Secretary Toby Young in conversation with broadcaster and political leader\, Nigel Farage. They will discuss the latest threats to freedom of speech\, including their direct experiences of financial censorship.  \nThere will\, of course\, be an audience Q and A.   \nAs places are limited\, we are offering priority booking to Gold and Founder Members of the Free Speech Union\, to thank them for their additional support\, but all members can now book tickets for themselves and their guests. \nTickets are £25\, including a free bar (wine and beer only) between 8 and 9pm. \nIN-PERSON TICKETS: Please use the link provided in emails from FSU Events and in the weekly newsletter to book your tickets on Eventbrite. \nZOOM OPTION: Free and exclusive to FSU members. Please register using the Zoom link supplied in emails from FSU Events.   \nThis is a fully accessible venue via the Little Newport Street entrance.  \nhttps://www.hippodromecasino.com/directions-maps/  \nTIME: Doors open 8pm\, conversation starts at 9pm\, ends 10.30pm\, bar open until late. Entry to ticket-holders only.  \nStrictly over-18s only – physical photo ID MUST BE PROVIDED on entry (photographs on devices will not suffice).  \nThis event will be live-streamed to FSU members and published at a later date.  \n 
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/live-in-conversation-nigel-farage-and-toby-young/
LOCATION:Hippodrome\, London\, Little Newport Street\, London\, WC2H 7JH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Guest Interviews
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20231003T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20231003T210000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230914T110739Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T110739Z
UID:10000056-1696361400-1696366800@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Understanding Tyranny and Liberty: Lessons from Alexis de Tocqueville and J.S. Mill
DESCRIPTION:Understanding Tyranny and Liberty: Lessons from Alexis de Tocqueville and J.S. Mill \nWith Guest Lecturer Professor Jeremy Jennings   \nPrior to the nineteenth century many writers were aware that autocratic states reduced individuals to silence and obedience through fear and the threat of punishment. When visiting the United States in the early 1830s\, Alexis de Tocqueville noticed that in a democratic society individuals could be silenced by another means: the tyranny of the majority. Once the majority had made up its mind on a subject\, Tocqueville observed\, all discussion ceased. The first part of this lecture will look at the nature of this newly-discovered tyranny. John Stuart Mill\, in a long review of Tocqueville’s Democracy in America\, immediately saw the importance of this threat and\, in the form of “public opinion”\, it provided the background to the argument advanced in his classic text\, On Liberty. The second part of the lecture will therefore consider the arguments advanced by Mill to protect the individual from threats to the liberty of thought and discussion. Crucially\, Mill did not believe that being offended by someone else’s view constituted harm. The lecture will conclude by seeking to assess the relevance of the views of Tocqueville and Mill to debates about free speech today.  \nAbout Professor Jennings  \nHaving received his doctorate from the University of Oxford\, Jeremy taught at the University of Swansea (1979-1995)\, the University of Birmingham (1995-2005)\, and Queen Mary University of London (2005-2013). He served as Head of Department in Birmingham and at Queen Mary\, was Vincent Wright Professor at the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques in Paris in 2006 and was also a visiting fellow at the University of Columbia Research Centre in Paris. Jeremy holds a visiting professorship with the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques.  \nJeremy’s research focuses upon the history of political thought in France. He recently co-edited the Cambridge History of French Thought and his latest book\, Travels with Tocqueville beyond America (Harvard UP) was published in March 2023. A larger\, long-term project is to write a history of the concept of liberty. \nDiscussant and Chair: Toby Young\, General Secretary of the Free Speech Union.  \nArrival and glass of wine from 7pm  \nLecture 7.30pm\, followed by Q and A and discussion until 9pm  \nThe book\, Travels with Tocqueville beyond America will be on sale on the night. \nIn-person TICKETS £10 for FSU members\, £16 for non-members. \nExclusive online access for FSU members via Zoom – please check Events emails and your weekly newsletter for details. \nOther Recommended readings:  \nAlexis de Tocqueville\, Democracy in America\, Volume 1\, Part 2\, Chapter 7\, Of the Omnipotence of the Majority in the United States and Its Effects.  \nIntroduction to On Liberty  by J.S Mill.  \n 
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/understanding-tyranny-and-liberty-lessons-from-alexis-de-tocqueville-and-j-s-mill/
LOCATION:The Art Workers’ Guild\, 6 Queen Square\, London\, WC1N 3AT\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Guest Lectures
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230913T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230913T213000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230904T125610Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T084940Z
UID:10000052-1694633400-1694640600@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Is There a Left Way Back From Woke?
DESCRIPTION:In his provocative new book\, Cancelled: The Left Way Back from Woke\, political scientist Professor Umut Özkirimli describes how the Left has been sucked into a spiral of toxic hatred and outrage-mongering\, retreating from the democratic ideals of freedom\, tolerance and pluralism that it purports to represent. However\, he also warns that the radical identity politics of the contemporary Left are mirrored in identitarian tendencies on the Right and advocates an alternative approach in which we rediscover our common humanity and work across differences to find a constructive and consensual way back from “woke”.\n  \n“Umut Ozkirimli addresses the more extreme forms of woke-ism in this forthright\, often witty examination of contemporary cancel culture… He says he walked into this war zone knowing he’d cop it from both left and right\, and he will surely stir things up.” Sydney Morning Herald\n  \n“This book will make you think\, which is probably what makes it so scary. Özkırımlı’s accessible style helps navigate contentious areas that have\, increasingly\, been seen as too dangerous to debate. Whatever Side you are on in this increasingly vicious culture war\, you would benefit from reading this book. I don’t agree with all of it\, but I am sure as hell glad it made it to the shelves.” Julie Bindel\, feminist and writer.\n  \nProfessor Özkirimli will be joined in conversation by two eminent public intellectuals:\n  \nProfessor Alice Sullivan has been instrumental in providing evidence that clarifies the need to preserve sex-based social categories in data-collection and policy-making. She has also led the UK pushback against the culture of ‘no debate’ about gender theory within and beyond academia\, including rallying academics at University College London to vote to detach the university from Stonewall and ensuring that academic freedom is upheld.\n  \nDr Ashley Frawley is one of the most interesting contemporary critics of identity politics and therapy culture – the prioritising of emotion in public life – bringing her research and insights to a wider audience through frequent engagement with traditional and new media.\n  \nThe panel will discuss Professor Özkirimli’s book and how those on the Left and the politically homeless can be encouraged to reject the divisiveness of ‘woke’ politics and stand up for freedom of speech and democratic values. As ever\, there will be plenty of time for audience Q and A.\n  \nPANEL :\n  \nUmut Özkırımlı is a Senior Research Fellow at IBEI (Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals)\, a professor at Blanquerna\, Ramon Llull University\, and a Senior Research Associate at CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs). He is also the Academic Director of the Barcelona Summer School of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. He is the author of the acclaimed Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction\, currently in its third edition. His writings appear frequently in The Guardian\, openDemocracy\, Times Higher Education\, Huffington Post\, Al Jazeera\, among others.\n  \nAlice Sullivan is Professor of Sociology at University College London (UCL) and Head of Research at the UCL Social Research Institute. Her research focusses on social and educational inequalities in the life course. She has made extensive use of secondary data analysis of large-scale longitudinal data sets in her research\, with a particular focus on the British birth cohort studies of 1958\, 1970 and 2000. She has published on areas including: social class and sex differences in educational attainment\, single-sex and co-educational schooling\, private and grammar schools\, cultural capital\, reading for pleasure\, social mobility\, health inequalities. She is on the Advisory Group of Sex Matters and co-author\, with Selina Todd\, of a new book\, Sex and Gender: A Contemporary Reader.\n  \nDr Ashley Frawley is Associate Professor of Sociology at Swansea University\, where she lectures on social problems\, the economics of social policy\, parenting culture and the sociology of health and illness. She is a commissioning editor at Sublation Press\, host of the Based AF podcast\, and contributing editor of Compact magazine. Her research and writing explore the rising importance attributed to emotions and behaviour in an era of ‘no alternative’ to capitalism. She is particularly interested in ‘vulnerable’ constructions of human subjects in the rhetoric of new social problems. Her most recent book is Significant Emotions: Rhetoric and Social Problems in a Vulnerable Age\, to be published by Bloomsbury in November 2023.\n  \nCHAIR:\n  \nDr Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union.\n  \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members.\n  \n___________________________\n  \nPlease note that in-person tickets to this event have now sold out. The event will be live-streamed to FSU members\, meaning you are still able to attend online. Please register using the Zoom link supplied in emails from FSU Events.\n\nAttend Online: FSU members will be sent a link so they can attend this event on Zoom.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/is-there-a-left-way-back-from-woke/
LOCATION:Online Event: Zoom
CATEGORIES:Public Debates
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230720T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230720T203000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230727T111613Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094105Z
UID:10000043-1689881400-1689885000@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:FSU Manchester Speakeasy – Free Speech: A Radical History
DESCRIPTION:SPEAKERS:  FSU Manchester Speakeasy with local historian Michael Herbert of Red Flag Walks\, Dr Cheryl Hudson of University of Liverpool and Jonathan Schofield\, writer\, Manchester tour guide and editor of Manchester Confidential. \n\n\nDATE: Thursday 20th July 2023 \n\nVENUE: Friends Meeting House\, 6 Mount St\, Manchester M2 5NS\n\nTIME: 7PM – 8.30PM (followed by social at The Britons Protection).\n\n EVENTBRITE LINK:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-speech-a-radical-history-tickets-643681587957?aff=oddtdtcreator \n\n\nJoin us on Thursday 20th July at the Friends Meeting House\, 6 Mount St\, Manchester M2 5NS\, followed by a social at The Britons Protection. \n\n\nHistorically\, from communists to slavery abolitionists\, suffragettes to religious minorities\, freedom of speech was considered an indispensable value for radical movements\, and indeed democracy more generally. Yet today\, free speech is more likely to be considered a potential problem than a core value\, and concerns about free speech are often dismissed as a right-wing talking point. \n\n\nFreedom of speech is\, and has been throughout history\, used to challenge injustice\, overturn tyrannical regimes\, expose crimes and corruption\, challenge orthodoxies\, and drive scientific debate and progress. At its broadest\, free speech implies the right to decide for yourself what is right and wrong\, true or nonsense\, beautiful or ugly\, good or evil. \n\n\nManchester’s radical past provides plenty of examples of how the struggle for free speech is always at the heart of political struggles against injustice and oppression. We have an expert panel of speakers who can help us explore the lessons we can learn from the bravery of our forebears. \n\n\n Michael Herbert  is a freelance historian who first came to Manchester in 1973 to study history at the University of Manchester. His published work includes Never Counted Out!\, a biography of Len Johnson\, the Manchester boxer and Communist; The Wearing of the Green\, a political history of the Irish in Manchester; “Up Then Brave Women”: Manchester’s Radical Women 1819-1918 and “For the sake of the women who are to come after” Manchester’s radical women 1914-1945. He is compiling an anthology of the journalism of Madeline Linford (1895-1975)\, the first woman on the editorial board of the Manchester Guardian. He writes about radical history on his blog Red Flag Walks and about science fiction on his blog “Fantasies of Possibility”. \n\n\n Dr Cheryl Hudson  is a lecturer in US Political History at the University of Liverpool\, and is former director of the academic programme at the Rothermere American Institute\, University of Oxford. Her research focuses on the histories of citizenship and political culture in the US and on the philosophy of history. She is co-editor of Ronald Reagan and the 1980s (Palgrave MacMillan\, 2008) and Why Academic Freedom Matters (Civitas\, 2016). Her forthcoming book is titled Citizenship in Chicago: Race\, Culture and the Remaking of America Identity. \n\n\n Jonathan Schofield  is a Manchester tour guide\, writer\, broadcaster and public speaker. In 2021 he was awarded the Medal of Honour by the University of Manchester for services to the city and region. There have been fewer than fifty recipients of this medal. Jonathan has been a registered Blue Badge Guide since 1996 and is the Editor-at-Large of Manchester Confidential the city’s largest independent magazine. He is also the Editor of Manchester Books Limited and has written several books on the North West. He is a regular broadcaster on local and national radio. \n\n\nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \n\n\nTickets are £5\, but FSU members can book FREE of charge. \n\nMembers receive free speech support and discounts for live events as well as exclusive access to online content\, so do consider joining the Free Speech Union. Membership starts from as little as £2.49 per month.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/fsu-manchester-speakeasy-free-speech-a-radical-history/
LOCATION:Friends’ Meeting House\, Friends Meeting House\, 6 Mount St\, Manchester\, M2 5NS\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230719T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230719T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230727T105338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094200Z
UID:10000042-1689793200-1689804000@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Edinburgh Summer Speakeasy - Can the Arts Survive in Scotland?
DESCRIPTION:CAN THE ARTS SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN SCOTLAND? \n  \n\n\nIn a censorious climate\, how can we protect the freedom to imagine for actors\, artists\, comedians\, musicians\, poets\, writers and audiences? \n\n\nLast summer\, comedian Jerry Sadowitz was forced to cancel his show at the Edinburgh Fringe when staff at The Pleasance refused to work at his gigs. He’s back this year\, performing ‘Last Year’s Show’ at the Queen’s Hall\, but recently The Stand Comedy Club made headlines when it tried to cancel an event planned with MP Joanna Cherry as speaker\, on the same grounds of staff sensitivity. After an outcry\, that invitation was reinstated\, but what is the impact of such censorious threats from within the arts world\, on those who are in the business of making us think? \n\n\nWe are all familiar with stories of artists having their reputations and careers attacked as punishment for the expression of views which challenge certain new orthodoxies\, and more subtle attempts to limit the artistic imagination by\, for example\, demanding that artists prioritise non-artistic factors such as ‘inclusivity’\, ‘diversity’ and ‘sensitivity’ when creating their work. \n\n\nAnd this is not just about those who make a living from their creativity. We the audience are increasingly prevented from judging for ourselves the value of a work of art\, performance or literature. Stories abound about retrospective re-writes of literary classics deemed ‘out-dated’\, of sensitivity-readers employed to rule on the ‘appropriateness’ of new works\, ever-growing labels in galleries and museums telling us what to think about the objects and the artists. \n\n\nHow can we make the case for the freedom of the artist and the audience today? \n\n\nWe have a panel of three speakers who are making a stand for freedom of expression in the arts\, poet Jenny Lindsay\, actor\, writer and producer Kirstin McLean and author Ewan Morrison. \n\n\nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \n\n\nDATE: Wednesday 19th July \n\n\nVENUE: The Counting House\, 34 West Nicolson St\, Newington\, Edinburgh EH8 9DD. \n\n\nPanel debate 7pm – 8.45pm\, (doors open 6.30pm)\, bar open until 10pm. \n\n\nTickets are £5\, but FSU members can book FREE of charge. \n\n\nMembers receive free speech support and discounts for live events as well as exclusive access to online content\, so do consider joining the Free Speech Union. Membership starts from as little as £2.49 per month. \n\n\nAbout the Speakers \n  \n\n\nJenny Lindsay is a poet\, writer\, essayist and performer. Her film-poem The Imagined We won the inaugural John Byrne Award for Critical Thinking in 2020 and she also won the Creative Edinburgh Award for Leadership in 2017. Her latest work This Script\, a poetic memoir about her often fraught response to #MeToo\, feminism and gendered expectations\, has been described as “brave\, complex and beautifully performed” and as bringing “a refreshing sense of joy to subject matter often debated in a much more humourless space” by The Scotsman. \n\n\nKirstin McLean has worked in the performing arts in Scotland for the past 22 years – initially as an actress and community facilitator\, and in recent years\, as a writer and director. She has worked in most theatres across Scotland\, alongside her work in television. Since 2021\, she has been artistic director of A Moment’s Peace Theatre Company\, delivering participatory arts projects through a women-only community theatre company and a multi artform group for refugees. She is a founding member and serving Executive Committee member of Cairn\, a new association (and aspiring trade union) representing performance professionals and the allied trades in Scotland. \n\n\nEwan Morrison is a multi-award winning Scottish author. He writes regularly for Areo Magazine and Psychology Today. His novels include How to Survive Everything\, Nina X (winner of the Saltire Society Award for Fiction in 2019)\, Tales from the Mall\, The Last Book You Read and Menage. He has also written for the Independent\, the Scotsman\, the Daily Mail\, New Statesman\, GQ and Esquire\, and Morrison was a weekly columnist for Scotland on Sunday from 2009-2011. Visit his website here. \n\nCHAIR: Fraser Hudghton is Director of the Free Speech Union Scotland. He joined the FSU in 2020 as Director of Case Management and oversees our vital work in helping those who have been cancelled or are threatened with cancellation get their lives back. In 2022\, he also took on the role of Director of Scottish Affairs. Prior to his time at FSU\, he worked in key roles for the Law Society of Scotland\, in Scottish politics and in charity fundraising regulation.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/edinburgh-summer-speakeasy-2/
LOCATION:The Counting House\, 38 West Nicolson Street\, Edinburgh\, EH8 9DD\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230713T184500
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230713T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230727T104017Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230905T194349Z
UID:10000041-1689273900-1689285600@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Cardiff Regional Speakeasy - Freedom of Thought\, Freedom of Speech & Religious Belief
DESCRIPTION:FREEDOM OF THOUGHT\, FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND RELIGIOUS BELIEF \n  \n\n\nFree Speech Union member Ben Dybowski was sacked from a school for sharing his Christian beliefs at a staff-only diversity and inclusion training seminar run by Diverse Cymru\, an organisation that trains teachers on ‘unconscious bias’ and ‘trans\, gender identity and gender expression awareness’. Having taken the trainer at her word when she described the session as a “safe space” in which to “speak freely”\, Mr Dybowski duly did so. \n\n\nDuring a ‘break-out’ discussion about how to avoid offending pupils\, the teacher challenged the group over whether his Christian beliefs were considered discriminatory. He told them he believed marriage was between a man and a woman\, that life began at conception\, and that he was opposed to some aspects of sharia law such as the stoning of men for homosexuality. \n\n\nLess than 24 hours after the session had ended\, Mr Dybowski was summoned before the school headmaster and sacked for “hate speech”. \n\n\nMr Dybowski\, who has an unblemished 20-year career in the profession\, started at the school through a teacher employment agency last October. \n\n\nSpeaking to the Mail on Sunday\, he said he had never discussed his views with pupils and was always respectful of those with different opinions. His dismissal was\, he added\, “an attack on Christianity” and “an affront to freedom of speech and freedom of thought”. \n\n\nFSU General Secretary Toby Young told the Mail that “the way Ben has been treated is outrageous. Had he been an employee of the school\, not taken on through the agency\, he’d have an open and shut case for unfair dismissal.” \n\n\nTeachers’ son Mr Dybowski grew up in Poland but has lived in Britain for almost two decades. “I remember well the final decade of communism there\, with all of the limits on liberty and free speech. Sadly\, some things in Britain now remind me of that period.” \n\n\nCome and here Ben Dybowski in conversation with local group Free Speechers Wales and West. There will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion and for socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \n\n\nDoors open 6.45pm\, speaker and discussion starts at 7.30pm. \n\n\nSpeakeasies are free for FSU members. We ask non-members to pay £5.00. \n\nPlease book your places as soon as possible and do let us know if you need to cancel so that we can release your ticket to somebody else.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/cardiff-regional-speakeasy-freedom-of-thought-freedom-of-speech-religious-belief/
LOCATION:The Sandringham Hotel – Grosvenor Suite\, 21 Saint Mary Street\, Cardiff\, CF10 1PL
CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230707T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230707T210000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230531T101302Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094215Z
UID:10000040-1688756400-1688763600@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Comedy Unleashed – Stand-up for Free Speech
DESCRIPTION:THE HOME OF FREE-THINKING COMEDY \n  \n 7th July – Doors at 6:30pm\, acts on stage 7:30pm \n  \nHaving consistently sold out shows in London for the past 5 years\,  Comedy Unleashed  brings its refreshing brand of stand-up comedy to The HiFi Club  in Leeds.\n  \nIf a comedian gets cancelled\, we put them on. We think that the audience should be the only judge and if something is funny… it’s funny. No subject is off limits. We encourage a spirit of exploration and a determination to eschew all things predictable. Comedy Unleashed  comedians have no fear of exploring prejudices\, contrarian views\, hidden thoughts and the real stuff of everyday life.\n  \nHere’s the sort of thing you’re going to get https://youtu.be/IAqIS6e-dl \n  \n Dominic Frisby \nDominic is a libertarian version of Billy Bragg (with a sense of humour). He tells jokes\, he sings songs and he will be our excellent compere for the evening. Creator of internet sensation ’17 million f*** offs’  and writer of hilarious songs that satirise our bonkers culture\, including the recent ‘Gonna Mary Gary’. \nHere are some videos of Dominic at the London club\n  \n Alistair Williams \nExcluded from most comedy clubs and banned from YouTube\, Alistair Williams is utterly\ncounter-cultural and bloody hilarious. Alistair did a gig at the London club recently and we\nwere inundated with requests to put him on again.\nHere’s clip of Alistair at the London club.\n  \n Victor Daniels \n  \nVictor Daniels is a seasoned comedian with numerous years of experience and has performed at The Comedy Store\, Top Secret\, Glee Club\, Frog & Bucket and Vauxhall Comedy Club to name a few. He recently performed a one man show at the Brighton Comedy Festival 2022.\nCheck Victor out here.\n  \n More comedians to be announced soon! \nDoors: 6.30pm until 10:00pm with the first comedian onstage at 7.30pm. Please arrive at the venue no later than 7:00pm so you can get a drink and be seated before the first act takes to the stage. Any arrivals after 7:00pm may unfortunately have to wait until the next available interval to be allowed into the venue.\n  \nTickets are sold for the Comedy Night as an event and not for individual comedians. Line-ups are subject to change. All acts are confirmed at time of booking. Occasionally\, acts may be replaced for reasons beyond our control. If this happens the act will be replaced with a suitable alternative. We do our best to keep the listings (on our calendar page) as up to date as feasibly possible with the current situation. If this causes any major inconvenience\, please contact info@thehificlub.co.uk or via telephone on 0113 242 7353.\n  \nFancy dress is not permitted. At the discretion of management and security of The HiFi Club\, same sex groups of 5 or more may be asked for a behavioural bond of £10 per person upon entry to ensure the smooth running of the comedy show. This behavioural bond will be returned at the end of the show as long as the rules of the venue have been adhered to.\n  \nFor group enquiries and bookings\, please contact us directly on 0113 242 7353.\nBooking details will be shared with Comedy Unleashed and your email address will be added to the Comedy Unleashed newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe\, there’s a link to do so in your first email.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/comedy-unleashed-stand-up-for-free-speech-2/
LOCATION:The Hi-Fi Club\, Leeds 2 Central Road\, Leeds\, LS1 6DE
CATEGORIES:Live Comedy Specials
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230705T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230705T203000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230727T112402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T133854Z
UID:10000044-1688583600-1688589000@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Unfair Play: The Battle for Women's Sport and Against Attempts to Silence its Champions
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday 5th July\, in-person in Central London or Online \n  \n\n\nOf all the issues thrown up by the rise of gender ideology and the push for trans-inclusivity\, safety and fairness in women’s sport is probably the one that has most grabbed mainstream public attention. And yet\, too often\, debate has been shut down and those who raise questions have been de-legitimised and accused of ‘transphobia’. \n\n\nOne of the most impressively stalwart campaigners\, working to keep the debate open\, is British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies MBE. Sharron is a legendary British Olympian\, the UK’s top female swimmer throughout the 80s. In 1980\, she won Olympic Silver (losing out only to a drugs cheat). She has since become a leading BBC sports pundit. \n\n\nThe Free Speech Union is therefore delighted to host the official launch of Sharron’s new book\, Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sport\, written with award-winning sports correspondent Craig Lord. \n\n\n IN-PERSON tickets\, with a discount price for FSU members and a celebratory wine reception\, can be purchased here: \n  \n\n\nhttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-person-tickets-unfair-play-sharron-davies-book-launch-tickets-641173155167 \n\n\nFSU members who prefer to join ONLINE\, should register free of charge\, using the link sent in the weekly newsletter and in emails from FSU Events. \n  \n\n\nNon-FSU members who prefer to join ONLINE can pay £5 to register here: \n  \n\n\nhttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-ticket-for-unfair-play-sharron-davies-book-launch-tickets-635317661227 \n\n\nAbout the book \n  \n\n\nSharron Davies is no stranger to battling the routine sexism of the sporting world. She missed out on Olympic Gold because of blatant doping among East German athletes in the 1980s and has never received justice. Now\, biological males are being allowed to compete directly against women under the guise of trans ‘self- ID’\, a development that could destroy the integrity of female sport. This callous indifference towards women in sport\, argue Sharron and journalist Craig Lord\, is merely the latest stage in a decades-long history of sexism on the part of sport’s higher-ups. \n\n\nUnfair Play: The battle to save women’s sport provides the facts\, science and arguments that will help women in sport get the justice they deserve. \n\n\nJoin us on Wednesday 5th July to hear from Sharron about why she wrote the book and the struggles she has faced to get her arguments heard. \n\n\nWe have brought together a superb panel to discuss the issues with Sharron: \n\n\nDr Emma Hilton is a prize-winning development biologist who has advised various governing bodies on transgender policy in sport including World Rugby. She is a director of Sex Matters\, a UK-based human rights group that campaigns for clarity on the (UK) protected characteristic of sex in law and in institutions. Her current research activity is an academic scoping review of transgender athlete policies of the most popular UK sports. \n\n\nCathy Devine is an independent researcher and expert in sport policy\, equality and human rights for girls and women. She has published widely in this area over the last 15 years. In the last two years she has advised a number of international and UK sport organisations (often confidentially) on transgender inclusion policies that do not compromise equal sporting opportunities for girls and women. She worked for 23 years as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cumbria\, UK\, and is an erstwhile Secretary of the British Philosophy of Sport Association. \n\n\nIn the chair will be Dr Jan Macvarish. Jan is Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union. Before joining the staff of the FSU\, she worked as an academic sociologist\, studying parenting\, family life\, intimacy and reproductive health. \n\n\nThere will be an audience Q and A and plenty of time to socialise afterwards over a complimentary glass of wine\, courtesy of Swift Press. The book will be on sale on the night and Sharron will be signing copies. \n\n\nDATE: Wednesday 5th July \n\n\nTIME: 7pm until 8.30pm\, (doors open 6.30pm). Followed by celebratory wine reception. \n\n\nVENUE: The Council Chamber\, Hallam Conference Centre\, 44 Hallam Street\, London W1W 6JJ. \n\nTICKETS: FSU Members £10 / Non-members £20 / Age 25s and under £12. Join the FSU today for free speech support and discounted tickets to all events\, membership from as little as £2.49 per month.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/unfair-play-the-battle-for-womens-sport-and-against-attempts-to-silence-its-champions/
LOCATION:The Council Chamber\, Hallam Conference Centre\, 44 Hallam Street\, London\, W1W 6JJ\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230615T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230615T203000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230531T100944Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094246Z
UID:10000039-1686855600-1686861000@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:The Battle for Free Speech: Jane Robins in conversation with Toby Young
DESCRIPTION:Campus mobs\, preferred pronouns\, artworks consigned to the dustbin of history\, controversial views dismissed as ‘misinformation’\, children’s books censored\, de facto blasphemy laws\, employees sacked for having the ‘wrong’ opinions\, celebrities cancelled for theirs… the battle to defend free speech is never ending.\n  \nThis is your opportunity to hear from the man leading the fightback.\n  \nIn 2020\, inspired by his own brush with cancel culture\, journalist and author Toby Young founded the Free Speech Union. Since then\, the FSU has come to the defence of over 2\,000 people who’ve been penalised for exercising their lawful right to free speech. As the General Secretary\, Toby runs the organisation\, working with a team of fifteen staff on everything from parliamentary lobbying to fundraising\, while raising awareness of free speech issues through his regular appearances in the media. Those who know him will attest that it his drive\, tenacity and prodigious work ethic that has taken the Free Speech Union from zero to 11\,000 members in the space of three years\, transforming it into Britain’s most effective bulwark in defence of free speech.\n  \nJoin us on Thursday 15th June at the Clayton Hotel\, Cambridge\, to hear Toby in conversation with journalist and author\, Jane Robins. Jane has worked as a foreign correspondent for the Economist\, editor of The Week in Westminster on Radio 4\, an adviser in the BBC’s Policy Unit\, and as the media editor of the Independent on Sunday. She now writes books and has published three works of non-fiction and two novels.\n  \nThere will be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters.\n  \nThe bar opens at 6.30pm\, the interview and Q and A goes on from 7.00pm until 8.45pm\, with drinks continuing until 10pm.\n  \nFSU members can book tickets FREE of charge for themselves and their friends. Non-members pay £10. Members receive discounts for live events and exclusive access to online content\, so do consider joining the Free Speech Union if you haven’t already. Membership starts from as little as £2.49 per month.\n  \n DATE: \nThursda y 15 th  June 2023  \n  \n TIME: \nBar opens 6.30pm\, main event from 7.00pm until 8.45pm. Social until 10pm.\n  \n VENUE: \nThe Garden Suite\, Clayton Hotel Cambridge  \n27-29 Station Rd\,  \nCambridge CB1 2FB  
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/the-battle-for-free-speech-jane-robins-in-conversation-with-toby-young/
LOCATION:The Garden Suite\, Clayton Hotel Cambridge\, 27-29 Station Rd\,\, Cambridge\, Cambridge\, CB1 2FB
CATEGORIES:Guest Interviews
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230614T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230614T210000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230531T100445Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230905T194047Z
UID:10000038-1686771000-1686776400@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Annual Convention 2023
DESCRIPTION:The FSU Annual Convention\n\nThe Convention affords senior staff and the directors of the FSU the opportunity to thank members for their support and to report back on highlights from the past year – e.g.\, legal victories\, case-work successes and the impact our behind-the-scenes legislative and policy work is having. It’s also a great opportunity to participate in a Q&A where you get to have your say about the work we’re doing.\n\nAttend Online: Gold and Founder FSU members will be sent a link so they can attend this event on Zoom.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/annual-convention-2023/
CATEGORIES:Conferences & Symposiums
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LOCATION:https://freespeechunion.org/event/annual-convention-2023/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230607T183000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230607T210000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230531T100120Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094346Z
UID:10000037-1686162600-1686171600@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Whose Values? Whose Voices? Are We Being Silenced By a ‘New Elite’?
DESCRIPTION:Professor  Matthew Goodwin’s   latest book   Values\, Voices and Virtue: The New British Politics   has stirred up lively discussion about whether a ‘new elite ’\,  with values alien to the majority\, has become a dominant cultural and political force in Britain. Stepping into the middle of the culture wars and offering an analysis that is critical of both left and right\, the book has succeeded in opening up  debate about the causes and impact of populism\, the nature of power and class identity\, whether society can cohere around shared values and how democracy can be revived.   \n  \nWe have brought together a superb panel to discuss the book with Matthew:\n  \n\n Professor Geoffrey Evans   \n Baroness Claire Fox   \n Sherelle Jacobs   \n\n  \nIn the chair will be FSU General Secretary  Toby Young  .\n  \nThere will be an audience Q and A and plenty of time to socialise afterwards. A welcome drink is included in the ticket price. The book will be on sale on the night.\n  \n Event Information: \n  \n DATE: \nWednesday 7th June\n  \n TIME: \n7.15pm\, doors open 6.30pm. Complimentary drink on arrival.  Debate from 7.15pm to 9pm.  After-event social with cash bar until 10pm\n  \n VENUE: \nUpper Hall\, The Emmanuel Centre\, 9-23 Marsham St\, London SW1P 3DW\n  \n TICKETS: \nFSU Members £10 / Non-members £20 / Age 25 and under £12.  Join   the FSU today for discounted tickets to all events\, membership from as little as £2.49 per month.\n  \n[N.B. this event will not be live-streamed\, but it will be recorded for the FSU’s video platform]  \n \n About our speakers:   \n  \n Matthew Goodwin   is Professor of Politics at the University of Kent. The author of four books\, including the Sunday Times bestseller   National Populism   \, he appears regularly in print and broadcast media including the  Sunday Times   and the BBC. Goodwin has  advised  more than 200 organisations on political issues and is a member of the Free Speech Union’s Advisory Council.   \n  \n Geoffrey Evans   is Official Fellow in Politics at Nuffield College\, Oxford; University of Oxford Professor of the Sociology of Politics and a Fellow of the British Academy. He has been co-director of the British Election Study since 2013 and is the author of  numerous  books and articles on the sources and consequences of social\,  psychological  and political divisions in the UK and cross-nationally. Among his recent books are   The New Politics of Class: The Political Exclusion of the British Working Class   \, Oxford University Press\, 2017 (with James Tilley) and Brexit and British Politics\, Polity\, 2017 (with Anand Menon).\n  \n Claire Fox   is the director of the Academy of  Ideas\,  she  convenes  the yearly Battle of Ideas festival and  initiated  the Debating Matters Competition for  sixth-formers . In May 2019\, she was elected as an MEP for the  North West  England constituency of the UK in the European Parliament elections. In September 2020\, Claire became a member of the House of Lords as Baroness Fox of Buckley. She is the author of  I Find That Offensive   and   I STILL Find That Offensive   .\n  \n Sherelle Jacobs   is a  Daily Telegraph  columnist   and commissioning editor on the newspaper’s comment desk. She also writes about politics\, geopolitics\, technology\,  futurism  and bureaucracy. Sherelle previously worked on the  Telegraph  ‘ s travel desk\, a job that took her across the world\, from Colombia to Mozambique. She has also worked as a freelance journalist in Tunisia\, where she reported on the failures of the Arab Spring and the rise of extremism in the Maghreb.\n   \n CHAIR: \n Toby Young   is the founder and general secretary of the  Free Speech Union  . He has been a journalist for  nearly 40  years and is an associate editor of the Spectator\, where  he’s  written a weekly column since 1998. He is editor in chief of a blog called DailySceptic.org that has received over 40 million page views. He is the author of several books\, including  How to Lose Friends & Alienate People  \, and co-founded the Knowledge Schools Trust.\n  \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. Find out  more  .
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/whose-values-whose-voices-are-we-being-silenced-by-a-new-elite/
LOCATION:The Emmanuel Centre – Upper Hall\, 9-23 Marsham St\, London\, SW1P 3DW
CATEGORIES:Guest Interviews
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230602T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230602T210000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230527T045258Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T085308Z
UID:10000036-1685732400-1685739600@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Comedy Unleashed – Stand-up for Free Speech
DESCRIPTION:THE HOME OF FREE-THINKING COMEDY \nFriday 2nd June . – Doors at 6:30pm\, acts on stage 7:30pm \nHaving consistently sold out shows in London for the past 5 years\, Comedy Unleashed brings its refreshing brand of stand-up comedy to The HiFi Club in Leeds. \nIf a comedian gets cancelled\, we put them on. We think that the audience should be the only judge and if something is funny… it’s funny. No subject is off limits. We encourage a spirit of exploration and a determination to eschew all things predictable. Comedy Unleashed comedians have no fear of exploring prejudices\, contrarian views\, hidden thoughts and the real stuff of everyday life. \nHere’s the sort of thing you’re going to get https://youtu.be/IAqIS6e-dl \nScott Capurro\nIf someone tells Scott to avoid a subject\, he goes straight to it. We bloody love him.\n“He’s evil and should be forced to leave the country” – Daily Mirror.\n“Vaingloriously poisonous” – The Scotsman\n“He’s a right dirty bugger and I love him” Andy Shaw \nJosh Howie\nJosh weaves lengthy tales out of everyday life that are utterly hilarious. He’s a brilliant storyteller. Josh is also a regular on the satirical news show Headliners on GB News. \nStephen Grant \nA hugely popular MC at the London club. Stephen has energy and intellect and has won multiple awards as a result. He makes the place buzz and he has an opinion on everything and everyone. \nMore comedians to be announced soon! \nDoors: 6.30pm until 10:00pm with the first comedian onstage at 7.30pm. Please arrive at the venue no later than 7:00pm so you can get a drink and be seated before the first act takes to the stage. Any arrivals after 7.00pm may unfortunately have to wait until the next available interval to be allowed into the venue. \nTickets are sold for the Comedy Night as an event and not for individual comedians. Line-ups are subject to change. All acts are confirmed at time of booking. Occasionally\, acts may be replaced for reasons beyond our control. If this happens the act will be replaced with a suitable alternative. We do our best to keep the listings (on our calendar page) as up to date as feasibly possible with the current situation. If this causes any major inconvenience\, please contact info@thehificlub.co.uk or via telephone on 0113 242 7353.\nFancy dress is not permitted. At the discretion of management and security of The HiFi Club\, same sex groups of 5 or more may be asked for a behavioural bond of £10 per person upon entry to ensure the smooth running of the comedy show. This behavioural bond will be returned at the end of the show as long as the rules of the venue have been adhered to. \nFor group enquiries and bookings\, please contact us directly on 0113 242 7353.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/comedy-unleashed-stand-up-for-free-speech/
LOCATION:The Hi-Fi Club\, Leeds 2 Central Road\, Leeds\, LS1 6DE
CATEGORIES:Live Comedy Specials
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230523T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230523T213000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230426T104945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T085432Z
UID:10000035-1684868400-1684877400@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Arts Forum: Freedom of Expression in the Arts
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to announce that at our next meeting\, Professor Kathleen Stock and Rosie Kay will lead a discussion on what freedom of expression means for the Arts. \nAlthough now well-known for her public engagement with debates pertaining to gender identity\, Professor Stock forged her academic career through work on aesthetics and the artistic imagination in literature\, music and the visual arts. As well as publishing numerous articles and chapters\, she is the author of the book Only Imagine: Fiction\, interpretation\, and imagination (Oxford University Press\, 2017). Professor Stock will be in conversation with the award-winning choreographer Rosie Kay. Rosie is currently preparing to tour with her show 5 Soldiers. \n  \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass-membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. You can find out more about us here. \nThe FSU Arts Forums have been formed to support arts professionals in developing an effective defence of freedom of expression\, capable of standing up to its latest challenges. \n  \nAttendance is by invitation only and the evening will be conducted according to the Chatham House rule. If there are others you think we should invite\, please let us know. \nDr Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director\, The Free Speech Union \nJan@freespeechunion.org
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/arts-forum-freedom-of-expression-in-the-arts/
LOCATION:October Gallery\, 24 Old Gloucester St\, London\, WC1N 3AL\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Public Debates
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230510T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230510T223000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230426T104344Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230905T193934Z
UID:10000034-1683747000-1683757800@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Blasphemy Law by the Back Door?
DESCRIPTION:Are we seeing the return of blasphemy law ‘by the back door’?\n  \nWith Emma Webb\, Rakib Ehsan\, Stephen Evans and Ben Jones – In partnership with Common Sense Society UK\n  \nThe offence of blasphemy was abolished in England and Wales in 2008\, but the disturbing case of the Batley Grammar School teacher – still in hiding two years after showing a picture of Mohammed in an RE class – and the recent punishment of schoolboys in Wakefield for lightly scuffing a copy of the Quran suggest that the imposition of de facto blasphemy laws is unlikely to end soon. \nBlasphemy remains a crime in Northern Ireland\, and while Scotland’s blasphemy law was repealed in 2021\, it was replaced with menacing\, vague new offences against stirring up of religious hatred. Meanwhile\, some would argue the Equality Act has created new categories of ‘blasphemous’ speech and heretical beliefs. ‘Woke’ speech codes in workplaces and universities are often likened to a new religious doctrine\, with new taboos policed not just by twitter mobs but through HR departments and EDI policies\, ironically\, often in the name of ‘inclusivity’ and ‘diversity’. Recent scenes in New Zealand and at Speakers Corner in London remind us that even today\, attempts to silence can still take on the very old-fashioned form of a physical mob\, baying for the blood of heretics. \nIn this climate\, are we seeing the return of blasphemy laws ‘by the back door’? In a pluralist society\, how should we strike a balance between tolerance for diverse beliefs and the right to ridicule or criticise religion? How can we defend the right to free speech against Islamism\, while our institutions routinely censure dissent from woke liturgy? \nJoin our expert panel\, Emma Webb\, Rakib Ehsan\, Steven Evans and Ben Jones for an in-depth discussion followed by audience Q and A. \n  \nAbout our speakers: \nEmma Webb is director of the UK branch of the Common Sense Society. Emma was the co-founder of campaign group Save Our Statues. Before that\, she was director of the Forum on Integration\, Democracy and Extremism (FIDE) at Civitas\, where she remains an associate fellow. Prior to that\, Emma was a research fellow at the Centre on Radicalisation and Terrorism at the Henry Jackson Society\, specialising in Islamist social networks and institutions. As a political and cultural commentator Emma has written for the Telegraph\, Times\, Spectator\, Independent\, spiked\, Unherd\, ConHome\, CapX\, among others\, and regularly appears on broadcast media\, including talkRADIO\, GB News and the BBC. \n  \nDr Rakib Ehsan is a research analyst and writer\, specialising in matters of social cohesion\, race relations\, and public security. He is the author of the forthcoming book Beyond Grievance and has worked with a number of think-tanks\, including the Henry Jackson Society\, the Centre for Social Justice\, Policy Exchange\, ResPublica and the Runnymede Trust. Rakib is a columnist for Sp!ked and a regular contributor for The Daily Mail and The Telegraph. He has featured on BBC Newsnight and Good Morning Britain (GMB). \n  \nStephen Evans is the chief executive of the National Secular Society and a regular media commentator on the role of religion in public life. The National Secular Society played a leading role in the campaign to abolish blasphemy in England and Wales and ensuring free speech on religion was protected in Scotland’s 2021 Hate Crime Act. \n  \nBen Jones is Deputy Director of the Free Speech Union’s cases team and he helps members of the public in all walks of life who’ve been penalised for speaking their minds. He also represents the FSU on TV and radio and co-hosts the FSU’s new podcast\, That’s Debatable. And he is in the final months of a PhD on British ex-Muslims\, focusing in part on how difficult it is for them to speak freely because of the danger\, self-censorship and social taboo around criticising Islam.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/blasphemy-law-by-the-back-door/
LOCATION:London – Private\, London\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Public Debates
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230505T183000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230505T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230727T113235Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T085559Z
UID:10000045-1683311400-1683324000@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Comedy Unleashed – Stand-up for Free speech
DESCRIPTION:THE HOME OF FREE-THINKING COMEDY \n  \n\n\n Friday 5th May – Doors at 6:30pm\, acts on stage 7:30pm \n  \n\n\nHaving consistently sold out shows in London for the past 5 years\,  Comedy Unleashed  brings its refreshing brand of stand-up comedy to The HiFi Club  in Leeds. \n\n\nIf a comedian gets cancelled\, we put them on. We think that the audience should be the only judge and if something is funny… it’s funny. No subject is off limits. We encourage a spirit of exploration and a determination to eschew all things predictable. Comedy Unleashed  comedians have no fear of exploring prejudices\, contrarian views\, hidden thoughts and the real stuff of everyday life. \n\n\nHere’s the sort of thing you’re going to get https://youtu.be/IAqIS6e-dl  \n\n Andrew Lawrence \n\nAndrew was cancelled in 2021 and Comedy Unleashed welcomes him back to the stage! Since then Andrew has built up a following for his daily videos\, with characters including Sergeant Detective Officer Peter Pisspot\, Sebastian Fat Salary Director of Marxist c**t waffle and Sir Keir Something. \n\n Tania Edwards \n\nTania is an utterly middle-class sceptic of middle-class sensibilities and ‘right-thinking’ groupthink. She is a popular comic at the London Comedy Unleashed club. \n\n Darius Davies \n\nDarius cut his teeth in the comedy clubs of New York City. But due to “visa irregularities” Darius soon found himself back\, and uncelebrated in London. He’s a distinct voice in a sea of ubiquity. Fearless in his belief in what is funny and forging his own path. High energy\, captivating and fuelled with passion\, soul and wit. \n\n Jay Mack \n\nJay Mack is a Leeds comedian with a pleasantly dark and surreal take on life. \n\n Bruce Devlin – Compere for the evening \n\nBruce is an acerbic Scottish comedian and will be our MC for the evening. “Devlin’s super-charged introductions could make Richard Pryor look like a slow starter!” \n\n\nDoors: 6.30pm until 10:00pm with the first comedian onstage at 7.30pm. Please arrive at the venue no later than 7:00pm so you can get a drink and be seated before the first act takes to the stage. Any arrivals after 7.00pm may unfortunately have to wait until the next available interval to be allowed into the venue. \n\n\nTickets are sold for the Comedy Night as an event and not for individual comedians. Line-ups are subject to change. All acts are confirmed at time of booking. Occasionally\, acts may be replaced for reasons beyond our control. If this happens the act will be replaced with a suitable alternative. We do our best to keep the listings (on our calendar page) as up to date as feasibly possible with the current situation. If this causes any major inconvenience\, please contact info@thehificlub.co.uk or via telephone on 0113 242 7353. \n\n\nFancy dress is not permitted. At the discretion of management and security of The HiFi Club\, same sex groups of 5 or more may be asked for a behavioural bond of £10 per person upon entry to ensure the smooth running of the comedy show. This behavioural bond will be returned at the end of the show as long as the rules of the venue have been adhered to. \n\nFor group enquiries and bookings\, please contact us directly on 0113 242 7353.\nBooking details will be shared with Comedy Unleashed and your email address will be added to the Comedy Unleashed newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe\, there’s a link to do so in your first email.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/comedy-unleashed-stand-up-for-free-speech-3/
LOCATION:The Hi-Fi Club\, Leeds 2 Central Road\, Leeds\, LS1 6DE
CATEGORIES:Live Comedy Specials
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230418T183000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230418T200000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230727T114605Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230905T193143Z
UID:10000046-1681842600-1681848000@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:The Power of Difference: Toby Young in conversation with Simon Fanshawe OBE
DESCRIPTION:Simon Fanshawe OBE  has had a career that stretches from an award-winning comic (Perrier Award 1989) to  Sunday Times  feature writer\, broadcaster and columnist. He is  the author of the best-selling book  The Power of Difference   which brings together his own experiences and the latest research to explain why inclusion is more than just being nice to people\, why unconscious bias training isn’t the fix we need and why listening to all individual voices\, not assuming that one viewpoint represents a group\, is key. \n\n\nHe co-founded  Diversity by Design  in 2010\, is Number 2 on HR Magazine ’s 2022 list of most original thinkers. \n\n\nAs a consultant he works with companies to celebrate difference and create true inclusion. But he is a diversity dissident. He thinks it’s a remarkable irony that ‘diversity’ is too often being used as a tool of conformity\, enforced by the weaponising of offence\, and ‘inclusion’ has been turned inside out and now seems to mean that ‘you have to think like this\, speak like this and behave like this. And if you don’t\, we’ll exclude you’. \n\nHe is also now the wrong kind of gay. Not only does he think that sex matters and you can’t make good law based on subjective feelings but\, having been one of the six co-founders of Stonewall\, he has been publicly critical of their ‘no debate’ approach which he believes dishonours the legacy of the way equality for lesbians and gays was achieved between 1989 and 2014.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/the-power-of-difference-toby-young-in-conversation-with-simon-fanshawe-obe/
LOCATION:Online Event: Zoom
CATEGORIES:Guest Interviews
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230327T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230327T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083855
CREATED:20230906T151744Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T133752Z
UID:10000033-1679945400-1679954400@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Disinformation\, Misinformation and the Freedom to Dissent
DESCRIPTION:How do we stop disinformation and misinformation being weaponised to suppress dissent?\nSo-called disinformation and misinformation have been singled out by many governments\, institutions\, charities and commercial businesses as a threat to democracy\, requiring widespread censorship. Is this a genuine concern\, or just an excuse to suppress dissenting points of view on issues like the lockdowns\, mRNA vaccines\, the war in Ukraine and climate change? And even if the threat is real and the concern genuine\, how can we trust these agents to accurately identify disinformation and misinformation? \nCriminalising or suppressing the dissemination of ‘fake news’ often seems to be a convenient way of silencing critics of those in power. New evidence has emerged of the UK Government monitoring people who questioned the wisdom of the Covid-19 lockdown\, including scientists and journalists. A recent report by campaign group Big Brother Watch revealed that at least three government units — the Counter Disinformation Unit\, the Rapid Response Unit and the 77th Brigade — were deployed to track the social media activities of British citizens\, identifying those regarded as problematic\, whom Government departments then reported to social media companies using their ‘trusted flagger’ status. \nWe bring together a panel of experts including the publisher of that report\, Silkie Carlo of Big Brother Watch\, writer and broadcaster Timandra Harkness\, and two of those identified by a 77th Brigade whistleblower as having been flagged for disseminating content critical of Covid policies\, the journalist Peter Hitchens and FSU General Secretary Toby Young. Join us\, in-person or online\, to discuss what lessons we should learn about how to counter this threat to free speech and defend the right to dissent. \nPANEL: \nSilkie Carlo\, Director of Big Brother Watch \nSilkie works to further human rights and equality particularly in the fields of state surveillance\, policing technologies\, big data\, artificial intelligence\, and free expression using parliamentary lobbying\, strategic litigation\, investigations and public campaigns to successfully change policies and laws. She is regularly invited to give expert evidence on civil liberties matters to UK Parliament and has also given oral evidence on technology and human rights issues to European Parliament and the Bundestag. \n  \nTimandra Harkness\, journalist\, writer and broadcaster \nTimandra is a regular on BBC Radio\, writing and presenting BBC Radio 4’s FutureProofing and other series including How To Disagree\, Steelmanning and Political School. BBC documentaries include Data\, Data Everywhere\, Divided Nation\, What Has Sat-Nav Done To Our Brains\, and Five Knots. Her book Big Data: does size matter? published by Bloomsbury Sigma in 2016\, came out in an updated paperback edition in June 2017. She is currently writing her second non-fiction book for Harper Collins. \n  \nPeter Hitchens\, columnist\, journalist and author \nPeter is a columnist for The Mail on Sunday who has spent more than 40 years in Fleet Street\, covered labour affairs\, politics\, defence and diplomacy and been a resident correspondent in Moscow (1990-1992) and Washington DC (1993-1995). He has visited 57 countries\, some of which no longer exist\, and is the author of several books including The Abolition of Liberty. \nCHAIR: \nToby Young\, General Secretary of the Free Speech Union \nToby Young is a British journalist and former Director of the New Schools Network\, a free schools charity. In addition to being the founder and General Secretary of the Free Speech Union\, he is an associate editor of the Spectator and the editor of the Daily Sceptic. \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. Find out more here.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/disinformation-misinformation-and-the-freedom-to-dissent-2/
LOCATION:The Art Workers’ Guild\, 6 Queen Square\, London\, WC1N 3AT\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Public Debates
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