Writers joining Free Speech Union after rival union engulfed in "trans row"

"Writers critical of the Society of Authors after the union was engulfed in a trans row are defecting to the Free Speech Union, which has pledged to defend their freedomofspeech." It's goodg to see today's Telegraph reporting our new provision specifically for authors. The Telegraph piece continues:

The UK’s largest writers’ union has faced an internal revolt over claims it has not properly defended gender-critical authors from being 'cancelled' for not agreeing with prevailing opinions, or supporting figures like JK Rowling who have been accused of 'transphobia'.

Authors critical of gender ideology who felt exiled from the organisation, which was feared to be 'lost to cancel culture', have now been offered protection at a rival union which has promised to 'come to defence of beleaguered authors'.

The Free Speech Union, founded by Toby Young, announced: 'It has become increasingly clear to us that freedom of expression is under severe pressure within the literary world, with publishers and literary agents often failing to defend their authors when their speech rights come under attack. The freedom of authors to express themselves and of people to read their work without interference or mediation by self-appointed censors is a fundamental human right.'

The Union has appointed a specialist Writers’ Advisory Council to oversee its offering for authors, with members including authors Helen Joyce, Julie Bindel, Anna Pasternak and Andrew Roberts, as well as comedians Andrew Doyle and Jack Dee.

We hope that as many authors as possible will join the FSU, whether to protect themselves, to defend their peers or build a public voice capable of putting the case for freedom of expression as robustly as possible.

You can find out more about our new provision for authors by clicking here. Full details of our new Writers' Advisory Council is available here.

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If you think there’s a risk you’ll be penalised for exercising your legal right to free speech, whether it’s in the workplace or the public square, you need the protection of the Free Speech Union. Membership starts from just ￡2.49 a month. You can join us?here.?

Alternatively, if you'd like to donate to help support the work that we do, you can click?here.