JK ROWLING has congratulated a lawyer who was awarded £22,000 after a judge found her bosses discriminated against her for holding “gender-critical” beliefs.
Allison Bailey claimed her employer Garden Court Chambers began investigating her after pressure from… LGBT Charity Stonewall.
2
2
A tribunal has now found Garden Court discriminating against Ms Bailey by publishing a tweet stating that an investigation into her conduct has been launched.
The workplace was also wrong to corroborate a claim by Stonewall alleging that two of Ms Bailey’s tweets “probably conflicted with” the Bar Association’s “core duties,” it was found.
Following the ruling, Harry Potter author Rowling said: “Allison Bailey is a heroine to me and countless other feminists for refusing to give up her beliefs and principles in the face of harassment and discrimination.
“Congratulations. And I couldn’t be more proud of my friend.”
The feud began in December 2018, when Ms Bailey, 52, complained to her colleagues that Garden Court was becoming a Stonewall Diversity Champion. She claimed the charity promotes “trans-extremism”.
She was also asked by her bosses to delete two tweets, one of which evoked the “terrible levels of intimidation, fear and coercion” behind Stonewall’s self-identification “agenda”.
The following year, Ms. Bailey – an advocate for lesbian gay rights – claims that the rooms remember her work.
However, the tribunal rejected a claim regarding her loss of income, as well as a second allegation that Stonewall ordered the chambers to discriminate against her.
Despite this, a reserved verdict delivered on Tuesday confirmed Ms Bailey’s allegation that Garden Court discriminated against her because of her beliefs.
The ruling relates to tweets written and posted by the chambers.
The messages stated that complaints against Ms Bailey would be investigated and that two of her tweets were likely to conflict with the core duties of lawyers.
Speaking with the daily mail, Ms Bailey said: “This is a justification for all those who, like me, object to the erasure of biological sex, of women and of same-sex attraction as material realities.
“It represents judicial recognition of the abuse that has been committed against us.”
The chambers have been ordered to pay out for the hurt of Mrs. Bailey’s feelings.
Bosses say they may still appeal.
What is Stonewall?
Stonewall was established in the 1980s in response to legislation known as Section 28.
The law banned the “promotion of homosexuality” in schools.
Since then, it has successfully campaigned for gay and lesbian rights.
In more recent times, however, the charity has come under increasing criticism for its new focus on trans rights.
The organization is alleged to have taken an “extremist stance” and aggressively tried to stop the debate.
The Diversity Champions program is designed to promote workplaces “where LGBTQ+ people are free to be themselves and live their lives to the fullest”.
However, Bailey claimed in her case that companies and public bodies that sign up for the £2,500 a year scheme are being pressured to embrace his ideology of transgender self-identification.