Goldsmiths cancels free speech show by comedian Kate Smurthwaite
|
Version 0 of 1. A feminist standup comedian has had a show cancelled at the prestigious Goldsmiths, University of London, over her views on decriminalising prostitution. The gig, by Kate Smurthwaite, ironically on the subject of freedom of speech, was pulled by the college’s comedy society at the last minute after reports of campaigners threatening to picket the event. The news comes as a report on Spiked magazine reveals that 80% of universities have either restricted or actively censored free speech on campus beyond legal requirements. Smurthwaite, who describes herself as a comedian and political activist, said she was disappointed that her gig, scheduled for Monday evening, had been cancelled. “I find it very strange that anyone would feel they couldn’t enjoy a comedy show unless they agree with 100% of the political views of the person performing,” she said. “The strangest thing is that my show is not about prostitution. I don’t even mention it. In a massively ironic coincidence, my show is about free speech, its power and uses and abuses. It is also about Saudi prisoner of conscience Raif Badawi, who is now being nominated for the Nobel peace prize.” She said she had performed the show, Leftie Cock Womble, around 50 times since the Edinburgh festival and had had no complaints. The first she heard about the gig at Goldsmiths being pulled was an email exchange with the college on Sunday evening. She was told of “complaints” about a range of past subjects in her shows, including her views on prostitution and on Muslim women being forced to cover up, but was not given details or any right of response. Smurthwaite favours decriminalising those selling sex, while criminalising those who purchase it. Goldsmiths students, she was told, support legalisation of the sex industry. A vote was held by members of Goldsmiths’ feminist society on whether to allow the show to go ahead. While the majority voted in favour, a minority who opposed threatened to picket the event. “They told me that the union supports the sex industry, which is weird. Surely you support the workers, not the industry. Then I was asked if I had picket lines outside gigs before. I said no. Then I was told it was due to a likelihood of a breach of Goldsmiths’ ‘safe space policy’. I’m a zero threat to anybody’s safe space policy. If someone disagrees with me, I want to be able to talk about it.” Smurthwaite said her opposition to the sex industry had attracted much criticism on social media. She said the students had come under pressure from members of the university’s feminist society and the sex industry, who threatened to disrupt the event. “They are under a lot of pressure from members of the femsoc but also from the sex industry itself,” she said. “They’re afraid of the sex industry lobby. There are a lot of members of Goldsmiths femsoc who have been duped by the rhetoric of the sex industry.” She said the gig had been planned as free to members of Goldsmiths’ feminist and comedy societies. The president of the comedy society said: “Despite many complaints from students about the content of Kate’s act in the past we were planning to go ahead with the gig until Kate told me 24 hours before that there was likely to be a picket with lots of students and non-students outside the venue. I couldn’t verify this. Up to this point we had only sold eight tickets so I decided to pull the plug.” Goldsmiths’ feminist society sent out a tweet on Sunday night distancing itself from the row: “Goldsmiths Feminist Society did not no platform Kate Smurthwaite and had nothing to do with the decision to cancel the show.” A spokesperson for Goldsmiths’ student union said: “The Goldsmiths comedy society is a small volunteer-led group. They made this decision independently from the union and we support their right to decide who plays their gigs.” |