Community: Trans rights row breaks out over event at Calderdale theatre run by volunteers

Todmorden Hippodrome has been receiving tens of thousands of tweets after an argument over an event it was booked for.

MP for the Calder Valley Craig Whittaker even said he was withdrawing his support for the theatre.

The venue had been due to host a women-only disco - a fundraiser for a cultural studies lecturer who is taking her former employer to court.

But the event was cancelled after complaints from the trans community.

That cancellation sparked a barrage of tweets to the theatre, which became the centre of an online trans rights row.

Steve Clarkson, from the theatre’s executive committee, said the amount of tweets they were receiving was overwhelming.

He said they have resolved the issue with both the organisers and complainants by the disco being booked as a private event, rather than a public one.

But they have still been getting tweets and he has not heard from Mr Whittaker, who said last night that he would no longer support the theatre because of their decision to cancel the event.

"We're disappointed that Craig didn't get in touch if he had concerns,” said Mr Clarkson.

"We pride ourselves on being a safe space for everybody."

Mr Whittaker was taking part in his regular Facebook question and answer session when he was asked by a constituent for his thoughts on certain songs being banned from sporting events.

He said: “It’s woke. It’s mad.

"We have a situation in Todmorden at the Hippodrome theatre where an all-female event that was planned to take place was cancelled because there was a backlash from the trans community down there.

"This is just totally, totally stupid, mad and Britain going crazy.

"People just take this thing far too literally and banning songs at sporting events is in the same vein as that.

"One theatre in Todmorden that I’ve always supported is the Hippodrome and unless they can tell me anything different I will no longer support the Hippodrome theatre in Todmorden because of the stance they’ve taken.”