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eShirl

(19,624 posts)
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 11:24 AM Sep 2

Father Ted creator Graham Linehan arrested over posts on transgender issues

Source: The Guardian

The writer of TV’s Father Ted has been arrested at Heathrow over three social media posts expressing his views on transgender issues.

Graham Linehan, who also created the IT Crowd and Black Books, said he was intercepted by five armed officers after flying in from Arizona and told he was under arrest over the messages.

Writing on Substack, the 57-year-old Irishman said he was taken to a cell and then questioned over the posts, published on X in April.

He said the posts related to him challenging a “trans-identified male” in a “female-only space”.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/sep/02/father-ted-creator-graham-linehan-arrested-over-posts-on-transgender-issues

23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Father Ted creator Graham Linehan arrested over posts on transgender issues (Original Post) eShirl Sep 2 OP
Orwellian FredGarvin Sep 2 #1
Linehan is firmly in "hate speech" territory - it's an obsession of his muriel_volestrangler Sep 2 #2
Had no idea... :( 50 Shades Of Blue Sep 2 #7
Yes, Orwellian SCantiGOP Sep 2 #9
" if all else fails punch him in the balls" muriel_volestrangler Sep 2 #10
No, not in a US court under the protection of the first amendment.... reACTIONary Sep 2 #11
Hah - "land of the free" muriel_volestrangler Sep 2 #14
Orwellian? You want to experience "Orwellian".... reACTIONary Sep 2 #15
Britain has different laws. yardwork Sep 3 #22
Hardly, Miguelito Loveless Sep 2 #6
In the US this would be a clear violation.... reACTIONary Sep 2 #12
I would love to see some evidence that Rowling has ever called for violence n/t Shrek Sep 3 #18
So, he threatened someone online? Too bad. maxsolomon Sep 2 #3
His version seems a bit whitewashed DavidDvorkin Sep 2 #4
Since WHEN are people arrested for posting a personal opinion on social media? FakeNoose Sep 2 #5
"arrested on suspicion of inciting violence", not "posting a personal opinion" muriel_volestrangler Sep 2 #8
If that post were considered to be "inciting violence" in the US.... reACTIONary Sep 2 #13
Yeah, while I don't agree with this guy's choice of targets RandomNumbers Sep 2 #16
The UK is known to impose their laws to visitors Polybius Sep 3 #17
Let's just get to the meat of this... Fix The Stupid Sep 3 #19
What about inciting to violence? DavidDvorkin Sep 3 #20
No, I'm OK with the UK law (being a UK DUer) muriel_volestrangler Sep 3 #21
Are you British? This man was arrested in Britain. yardwork Sep 3 #23

muriel_volestrangler

(104,693 posts)
2. Linehan is firmly in "hate speech" territory - it's an obsession of his
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 12:16 PM
Sep 2

His anti-trans raving has broken up his marriage. So, no, not "Orwellian".

SCantiGOP

(14,592 posts)
9. Yes, Orwellian
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 04:20 PM
Sep 2

Violation of free speech by government is wrong and dangerous no matter what the speech is that is being suppressed.

muriel_volestrangler

(104,693 posts)
10. " if all else fails punch him in the balls"
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 04:35 PM
Sep 2

No, not "Orwellian". Yes, that's potential incitement to violence. Yes, it does matter what the "speech" is.

reACTIONary

(6,706 posts)
11. No, not in a US court under the protection of the first amendment....
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 05:18 PM
Sep 2

.... " if all else fails punch him in the balls" would not put you in legal jeopardy here in the land of the free.

And I would hate to see what TSF would do with it if it did.

muriel_volestrangler

(104,693 posts)
14. Hah - "land of the free"
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 05:32 PM
Sep 2

If you're going to think that anything that isn't American is "Orwellian", then I suggest you (re-?)read Orwell.

reACTIONary

(6,706 posts)
15. Orwellian? You want to experience "Orwellian"....
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 09:08 PM
Sep 2

..... give TSF the ability to prosecute "hate speech". Now that would be Orwellian.

Miguelito Loveless

(5,194 posts)
6. Hardly,
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 12:45 PM
Sep 2

along with J.K. Rowling, Lineham has done his damnedest to incite violence against the trans community.

reACTIONary

(6,706 posts)
12. In the US this would be a clear violation....
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 05:21 PM
Sep 2

.... of the first amendment. And if it wasn't considered such, we would all be under legal jeopardy be TSF.

maxsolomon

(37,356 posts)
3. So, he threatened someone online? Too bad.
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 12:26 PM
Sep 2

It's an aside, but who goes to Arizona in August? It's broiling hot every day.

DavidDvorkin

(20,344 posts)
4. His version seems a bit whitewashed
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 12:37 PM
Sep 2

From the article:

The man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence. This is in relation to posts on X.


The right hates the law that was used for this arrest.

The case of Lucy Connolly, a British woman who was jailed after last summer’s riots for a post on X calling on people to set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers, has become a cause célèbre for the right.

FakeNoose

(38,627 posts)
5. Since WHEN are people arrested for posting a personal opinion on social media?
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 12:44 PM
Sep 2

Besides that, this guy is Irish and he's currently living in Arizona. He posts something on Xwitter, an American company the last time I checked. He flies to England and gets arrested by UK police.

muriel_volestrangler

(104,693 posts)
8. "arrested on suspicion of inciting violence", not "posting a personal opinion"
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 01:32 PM
Sep 2
The first post, from his X feed, called it a "violent, abusive act" for a trans-identified male to be in a female-only space. He suggested: "Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails punch him in the balls."

He then wrote on Substack that during his police interview following the arrest, "I explained that the 'punch' tweet was a serious point made with a joke", and that it was about "the height difference between men and women... and certainly not a call to violence".

His second post from X appeared to be an aerial shot of a group of protesters in a town centre, and he called it "a photo you can smell".

The third expressed his views, in which he said "I hate them", referring to "misogynists and homophobes", adding an expletive.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c07p7v2nn8mo


Yeah, that's how it works. Incite violence internationally, and you can get arrested when you travel to a country where inciting violence is illegal. But he's closely associated with the UK (his ex-wife is English, and they lived there for at least part of their marriage; I imagine their children live with her (because his behaviour has been such that most courts would not give him custody of children). Most of his TV work has been with British TV companies).

I feel like Gappy here way back on Page 2 (and over a year ago) hit the nail on the head here. By his own admission his obsession cost him his marriage and his home life, and also his career. He's indeed a liability. His former brother in law (James Serafinowicz, don't know about Peter) at one point and finally told him publicly to calm down on Twitter (and tweeted to someone else that the family had tried talking to him for years).

He trawled dating apps (who advertise on registration that they are trans friendly/allow trans people there) and posted pictures of the people there claiming they're trying to trick women or whatever. Calls anyone who is vaguely an ally or friend to trans people "groomers" (implying they're peaedophiles). Claimed to be railing against men who "speak over women" yet shouted down the many women who are fine with trans people.

Trying not to say this pejoratively, but the man is in deep need of therapy. Not for his opinions, but his behaviour.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/thread/3680/4/

reACTIONary

(6,706 posts)
13. If that post were considered to be "inciting violence" in the US....
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 05:24 PM
Sep 2

... a good half or more of the population would be eligible for arrest. And with TSF in charge of the DOJ, it would our half, not his.

RandomNumbers

(18,896 posts)
16. Yeah, while I don't agree with this guy's choice of targets
Tue Sep 2, 2025, 09:23 PM
Sep 2

I do recall seeing plenty of posts from liberal / lefty / not right-wing-whackos, supporting "punching Nazis" .

If posting a desire to punch someone will get you thrown in jail, it's going to be a crowded place.

Polybius

(20,858 posts)
17. The UK is known to impose their laws to visitors
Wed Sep 3, 2025, 05:03 AM
Sep 3

They arrested an ex-foreign leader once, who happened to be on a diplomatic mission.

Fix The Stupid

(986 posts)
19. Let's just get to the meat of this...
Wed Sep 3, 2025, 10:31 AM
Sep 3


Are du'ers OK with the government arresting people for this?

What's going to happen when you post about 'punching nazi's' (literally, 100's of posts on this site, saying exactly that...) and the repubs start arresting people for similar speech?

Again, for the love of gawd, please stop taking the 10% side in the 90-10 issues... it is what has got us to this point now.

This should be an easy one for everyone here:

"We do not agree with any government arresting it's citizenry based on social media posts".

How can that be controversial? How that can be a right-wing talking point?

Please...wake up.

muriel_volestrangler

(104,693 posts)
21. No, I'm OK with the UK law (being a UK DUer)
Wed Sep 3, 2025, 11:09 AM
Sep 3

Yes, I think that posting on social media "punch (group X)" is incitement to violence, and so should be arrestable. I'd rather see a well-known figure who has significant people reading his posts be arrestable for saying "punch trans women" than "everyone can say 'punch Nazis' without it ever being arrestable". Being able to say "punch Nazis" is not a significant part of my desirable lifestyle. There are situations - and the current UK is one - where being able to lessen the harm to innocent people (trans women) is something I want the state to be able to do.

What you have isn't a "right-wing talking point", so much as a libertarian talking-point.

yardwork

(68,038 posts)
23. Are you British? This man was arrested in Britain.
Wed Sep 3, 2025, 11:22 AM
Sep 3

The British have strict laws about hate speech. If you disagree with them, well, don't move to Britain.

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