by Tom Jeffreys, Telegraph
Charity apologises to choir dropped over gender-critical views
Scope admits cancelling Singing Striders’ London Marathon performance was wrong after founder and fellow members took legal action
A disability charity has apologised after dropping a choir from performing at the London Marathon because of its founder’s gender-critical views.
The Singing Striders, which twice performed at the event as a “cheer squad” for the disability charity Scope, was told two days before this year’s run that they had been dropped.
Scope said it had made the decision because Janet Murray, the choir’s founder and a journalist, was the subject of two anonymous complaints about her public criticism of transgender ideology.
It has now apologised after Ms Murray, whose choir went on to perform elsewhere on the course, took legal action with three fellow singers over the charity’s “discrimination”.
Scope’s apology said: “Scope would like to apologise to the choir for cancelling their performance. We acknowledge the decision to cancel this performance was wrong. We acknowledge that our decision was against our commitment to the Equality Act.
“We recognise that Janet Murray is entitled to hold and express her lawful gender-critical beliefs. The fact Ms Murray holds these views should not have influenced our decision-making.”
Ms Murray’s beliefs include the view that biological sex cannot be changed and that identifying as a woman does not entitle a man to access women’s single-sex services and spaces.