LONDON (AP) — The co-creator of British TV sitcoms “Father Ted” and the “IT Crowd” stated he was arrested over a sequence of posts about transgender folks.
Graham Linehan, 57, stated he was arrested Monday at Heathrow Airport after arriving from Arizona. The Metropolitan Police did not identify Linehan however stated it had arrested a person on the airport on suspicion of inciting violence in posts on X.
Linehan, who’s well-known for posts asserting that trans ladies are males, stated in April that trans ladies had been violent criminals in the event that they used women-only amenities. He advocated hitting them if calling police and different measures didn’t cease them from utilizing such amenities.
His put up on X got here simply days after the top of the U.Okay’s Equality and Human Rights Fee stated transgender ladies could be excluded from women-only areas reminiscent of bathrooms, single-sex hospital wards and sports activities groups. The choice adopted a ruling by Britain’s highest courtroom that the phrases “woman” and “man” seek advice from organic intercourse for antidiscrimination functions.
Conservative members of Parliament condemned the arrest.
“Britain used to be known for its sense of humor,” Conservative MP Claire Coutinho said. “Now the police are arresting people for making jokes.”
Linehan stated in a put up on Substack that the questioning by police despatched his blood stress hovering and he was taken to the hospital and stored beneath remark earlier than being launched on bail. The Irish author stated the one situation for his launch was that he couldn’t put up on X.
He is because of seem Thursday in Westminster Magistrates’ Court docket on a separate case wherein he’s accused of harassing a transgender girl and damaging her cellphone. He has denied the cost.
