KATE Forbes should “reflect” on her comments in support of anti-trans campaigner and comedian Graham Linehan, a Scottish Government minister has said.
Patrick Harvie, a Green MSP and co-leader of his party, said that Forbes should look at Linehan’s “vile bullying behaviour” after she expressed support for the controversial comic.
The Father Ted creator, who is also known for his work on hit TV shows Black Books and The IT Crowd, hit the headlines after two Edinburgh venues refused to host him in a Fringe show.
Linehan – who has claimed that “almost every central trans figure is a nonce" and suggested that the trans flag includes “the paedophile colours, baby pink and baby blue” – was ultimately forced to perform a comedy set outside of the Scottish Parliament.
Speaking at a different Fringe show on Monday, opposite host Matt Forde, Forbes said it was “remarkable” that Linehan had had “such a difficult time”.
The former finance secretary (below) said: “I think that people pick a target and go after that target and they’re not content until they are destroyed.
“But I think it is a really, really scary time to be a comedian because your shows, your art relies in part on causing offence. And some of it I find quite offensive.”
She added: “Offence needs to be caused and he is a comedian and he’s not inciting violence as far as I can see.
"He is a comedian making jokes with the currency of offence and that needs to be protected.”
After his show outside the Scottish parliament, Linehan told the Daily Mail that “trans-rights activists are the most evil people in the world” and that he thought “they need to be defeated completely”.
Asked about Forbes’s remarks at the launch of the Scottish Greens candidate in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, party co-leader Harvie suggested Forbes should “reflect” on her support for Linehan.
He said: “I think Kate should probably look at some of the vile bullying behaviour that Mr Linehan has engaged in on and offline and maybe reflect on those comments.”
NEW: Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie responds to Kate Forbes's defence of comedian Graham Linehan pic.twitter.com/nR3Ivb8AEJ
— The National (@ScotNational) August 22, 2023
Harvie was appearing alongside Lorna Slater, the Greens other co-leader, as the party unveiled their candidate for Rutherglen and Hamilton West.
Cameron Eadie, 20, said he is standing for election to Westminster to challenge the “climate criminals” in the Conservative and Labour parties.
He stated: “Every single vote for the Scottish Greens will be a vote against the Westminster status quo, a vote for change, and a vote for people and for planet. It’s as simple as that.
“It’s my generation and the next being left to deal with the carnage caused by successive Tory and Labour governments and their failures on climate.”
