The Times- I can't sleep, says accountant Marion Miller in trans tweet row
I can’t sleep, says accountant Marion Millar in trans tweet row
The Times
Marion Millar was told that there were allegations that she posted “homophobic and transphobic” tweets
DREW ANGERER/GETTY
Monday May 24th 2021
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A feminist campaigner claims she can hardly sleep or eat after a police investigation into comments she made on social media about transgender rights.
Marion Millar, an accountant from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, was told to report to a police station over allegations that she had posted “homophobic and transphobic” tweets.
Her account of her ordeal has been viewed by millions of people on social media.
Millar, who works for For Women Scotland (FWS), a feminist group, wrote: “On April 28 I received a call from a PC Laura Daley from Police Scotland requesting I attend an interview under the malicious communications act. She told me I had to attend East Kilbride police station so I could be then transported to Cathcart station in a police car because I would have to go to a station where there are holding cells.”
Millar was told that social workers would be sent to look after her young twin boys, who are autistic, while she was questioned.
“This nonsense has been hanging over my head for a month,” she said. “I still don’t know what the offending tweet is. Anyone who knows me knows I am not homophobic or transphobic. ”Marion Calder, spokeswoman for FWS, said Millar had been overwhelmed by the support she had received.“Marion still has no idea of what she is being accused of and won’t know until she attends the police station on Thursday,” she said.
“This is exactly why we raised concerns about the new hate crime legislation.
“It was obvious that if complaints were made they would be followed through — no matter how vexatious or politically motivated. Serious questions have to be raised about how Police Scotland has handled this.
“The public are finally waking up and getting worried about what is happening to freedom of speech. Police Scotland appear determined to follow through complaints about women expressing views or posting stickers, yet we can see thousands of football supporters being able to congregate and vandalise a city centre with apparent impunity. It’s nonsensical.”
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “We received two complaints regarding comments made on social media, enquiries into this are ongoing.”
To comply with human rights legislation interviews have to take place at a station with custody suites, which East Kilbride does not have.
This year Humza Yousaf, then justice secretary, said that safeguards in hate crime legislation meant individuals who “solely stated their belief” would not breach the criminal threshold, even if it was “offensive to some”.
Police Scotland has been accused of a “chilling” attack on free speech after officers in Kirkcaldy urged people to contact them if they saw “controversial stickers” promoting For Women Scotland.
It opposes plans which would allow individuals to self identify as women without medical checks, claiming this infringes on women’s rights. The stickers featured the hashtag #womensrightsarenotahatecrime.
Police Scotland later deleted a tweet calling on people to report the stickers. A source told The Scottish Sun it had been “poorly worded”.Russell Findlay, the Scottish Conservative shadow community safety minister, said: “It seems absurd but also chilling to issue a public warning about stickers.” Joanna Cherry QC, the SNP MP, said: “The deletion of their tweet would indicate this was not an appropriate use of police time.”
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