A Catholic columnist in the U.K. says she’s now “under investigation” by her local police department after she “misgendered” the daughter of a trans-rights activist on Twitter.
Last September, Caroline Farrow, a Catholic commentator and writer, appeared on “Good Morning Britain” with host Piers Morgan to debate Susie Green, the head of the Mermaids foundation, which “supports children and young people with gender variance, and their families,” over changing notions of gender in modern society. Farrow argued that she does not believe that one can “transition” from one gender to the other, a position informed by her Catholic faith, which says that gender is immutable.
While the on-air debate was mostly polite, the situation turned ugly quickly after Farrow posted about the encounter on social media and, in one tweet, identified Green’s transgender “daughter” as a boy.
For that, Farrow claims, she was reported to her local police department and is now under investigation for her alleged “malicious communications.”
“Had a message from Guildford police tonight about my tweets following an appearance on @GMB with Susie Green and Piers Morgan. Susie Green has reported me for misgendering her daughter,” Farrow said Monday.
Had a message from Guildford police tonight about my tweets following an appearance on @GMB with Susie Green and Piers Morgan. Susie Green has reported me for misgendering her daughter.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 18, 2019
“I have pointed out to the police that I am a Catholic journalist/commentator and it is my religious belief that a person cannot change sex. That we are in the middle of a national conversation about what it means to be male and what it means to be female,” she continued.
I have pointed out to the police that I am a Catholic journalist/commentator and it is my religious belief that a person cannot change sex. That we are in the middle of a national conversation about what it means to be male and what it means to be female.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 18, 2019
“Nonetheless,” Farrow added, “following my appearance on National Television the CPS have decided I need to be interviewed under caution for misgendering Susie Green’s child.”
Nonetheless following my appearance on National Television the CPS have decided I need to be interviewed under caution for misgendering Susie Green’s child.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 18, 2019
Farrow then set out the parameters of the act under which she’s been implicated.
Here are the provisions of the malicious communications act: https://t.co/6ICBG2WJKZ – I am not in breach.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 18, 2019
“I don’t even remember said tweets! I probably said “he” or “son” or something,” she said, adding that the tweets were from several months ago.
I don’t even remember said tweets! I probably said “he” or “son” or something.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 18, 2019
“All I have been told that following an appearance on Good Morning Britain I made some tweets misgendering Susie Green’s child and that I need to attend a taped interview.” Farrow elaborated. “I don’t even remember said tweets. This was in September! But I really not got give a flying toss. I have done nothing wrong, nothing illegal and will happily do jail time for my right to say that people cannot change sex.”
All I have been told that following an appearance on Good Morning Britain I made some tweets misgendering Susie Green’s child and that I need to attend a taped interview.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 18, 2019
I don’t even remember said tweets. This was in September! But I really not got give a flying toss. I have done nothing wrong, nothing illegal and will happily do jail time for my right to say that people cannot change sex.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 18, 2019
She later added a link to the debate, and then added that police have told her that if she does not submit to the interview, that she will be taken in for an interview by force.
Oh and if I don’t go for an interview about some tweets that allegedly misgendered, I will apparently be arrested. Which is nice.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 18, 2019
The police apparently told Farrow that she is not yet in full trouble, but that she must be inteviewed “under caution” as a follow-up to the complaint.
Piers Morgan, who hosts the program that got Farrow into trouble, was apoplectic.
WHAT???? https://t.co/vYUXv84JoE
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 19, 2019
Farrow later added that fans of Green have been harassing her independently, and that some of them have “doxed my children, made violent and sexual threats, signed me up to porn accounts, did the same to my husband, [and] threatened to visit here.”
It’s clear, also, that Green’s fans are proud of their handiwork, as Farrow’s Twitter account shows. One even took photos of the inside of Farrow’s church and threatened to meet her there, then posted the basics of the “malicious communications” statute under which Farrow is being questioned, giddy that Farrow could be sentenced to up to two years in prison if she’s convicted — all for referring to a transgender individual by a pronoun in line with their biological gender.
Farrow has screenshots of the the threats and says she’s pursuing them.