Fr Ted creator/writer Graham Linehan Arrested over posts on Transgender issues

Cyclingtourist · 13-05-2026 09:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464468#Comment_124464468

"The man is an absolute disgrace and I hope his advocates on this thread might finally see him for what he is. Whether they can admit it or not is another question."

He who is without sin let her throw the first stone.

Former Former Former · 13-05-2026 10:00AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464481#Comment_124464481

I guess that answers my question on whether Linehan's supporters would see him for what he is, or would admit it. Interesting that you went to a Christian religious reference.

I think it's fascinating how some posters will turn a blind to anything certain people will do, so long as they're on the "right" side of the trans debate.

Cyclingtourist · 13-05-2026 10:05AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464500#Comment_124464500

Well this thread is about Linehan's arrest at Heathrow following his posting a few jokes on unsocial media. The denial of his liberty is what concerns me not what happens on unsocial media.

eightieschewbaccy · 13-05-2026 10:14AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464508#Comment_124464508

It would appear that most posters are happy to have a broader conversation about Linehan. 😀

Former Former Former · 13-05-2026 10:15AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464508#Comment_124464508

Well said! I mean, there was a guy on here yesterday complaining about how cyclists are vulnerable road users and updating us on how often he goes to confession.

Back on topic so, the increasingly extreme and wide-ranging scope of Linehan's utterances, and the increasing rate at which he's aligning himself with very unpleasant people and very dangerous positions, make it seem less and less likely to me that he was "just making harmless jokes".

But again, what fascinates me most is the blind eye that continues to be turned because anti-trans is the be all and end all for some people.

ancapailldorcha · 13-05-2026 10:18AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464532#Comment_124464532

He wasn't denied liberty either.

Cyclingtourist · 13-05-2026 10:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464532#Comment_124464532

They don't need my permission to do so. What I object to is the insinuation that support for Linehan over his arrest is somehow indicative of a wider approval for everything else he says or does.

ancapailldorcha · 13-05-2026 10:25AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464545#Comment_124464545

The hole in this argument is that there was no objection above to the idea that I am fine with JK Rowling getting rape threats. Not one of the pro-Linehan posters took issue with this. Not a single one.

volchitsa · 13-05-2026 10:28AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464350#Comment_124464350

Well apart from the children's charity she founded in 2006 and which is still going, Lumos, or the hundreds of thousands of pounds she donated to rescue female lawyers who were on a Taliban kill list*.

https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/harry-potter-author-jk-rowling-helped-afghan-lawyers-flee-the-taliban/

But hey, somebody's search on X didn't throw up a comment from her about a specific Dutch man with a child abuse conviction, ergo Rowling does nothing that's not trans-related. 🤔

* That was done secretly, and it only came out later, so it's more than likely that there's more than just those
two that I happened to know of. The point is, comments on X, or on here, are not evidence of useful acts.

Cyclingtourist · 13-05-2026 10:35AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464537#Comment_124464537

"Back on topic so, the increasingly extreme and wide-ranging scope of Linehan's utterances, and the increasing rate at which he's aligning himself with very unpleasant people and very dangerous positions, make it seem less and less likely to me that he was "just making harmless jokes".

Here we see the thought police argument at work. 'The defendant's actions may appear innocent but viewed with the perspective of hindsight were clearly inspired by anti-social criminal inclinations.'

ancapailldorcha · 13-05-2026 10:38AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464578#Comment_124464578

Why is it ok for Linehan to try to destroy the career of Kevin Bakhurst? This is why the cancel culture argument is nonsense. There's no such thing. What does exist are bullies like Linehan who through their weight around to destroy anyone who disagrees with them.

Fortunately, Linehan has spent that past decade thoroughly debasing himself so nobody's too bothered what he says about anyone.

Cyclingtourist · 13-05-2026 10:55AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464558#Comment_124464558

The hole in your argument is that is that my not getting involved in some debate about JK Rowling is indicative of some opinion I have on the matter.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464588#Comment_124464588

"Why is it ok for Linehan to try to destroy the career of Kevin Bakhurst?"

LOL, Linehan has zero power to get the DG sacked, same with deciding if Father Ted is shown instead of Eurovision.

ancapailldorcha · 13-05-2026 11:02AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464626#Comment_124464626

So it's fine then.

Cyclingtourist · 13-05-2026 11:06AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464638#Comment_124464638

What's 'fine'?

plodder · 13-05-2026 11:12AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464588#Comment_124464588

Do you seriously think that Kevin Bakhurst is worrying about his job this morning? I don't think I'd compare that with Linehan's actual cancellation. I also wouldn't say "nobody is too bothered" what Linehan says either. There's 40 odd pages of talk about it here.

I thought it was funny last night when one of the first items on the radio news bulletin was Israel getting to the final. Have to agree with the sentiment here as well. We can indulge ourselves with our protest. But, nobody else gives a sh!t.

https://twitter.com/OHanlonEilis/status/2054295474492887357

Boggles · 13-05-2026 11:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464662#Comment_124464662

Have to agree with the sentiment here as well. We can indulge ourselves with our protest. But, nobody else gives a sh!t.

Bit of a dishonest tweet from that lady.

RTE News clearly said RTE and other Broadcasters.

They been.

RTÉ was one of five broadcasters along with fellow European Broadcasting Union (EBU) members, Spain's public broadcaster RTVE, Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, Iceland's RUV and RTV Slovenia who announced their decision to boycott the show in December.

ancapailldorcha · 13-05-2026 12:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464662#Comment_124464662

Of course not. It just proves that it's one rule for the likes of Linehan and one for others.

scottser · 13-05-2026 12:13PM

I just thought it was funny that a man even attempted to tell women what a woman is. Now as a goyim he's trying to tell us what is and isn't antisemitism.

I think Ricky Gervais has it right when he says that some people genuinely believe that their opinion is as valid as actual facts. Linehan is just making a fool of himself here. Unfortunately he'd find a ready and willing audience in the States.

greyday · 13-05-2026 12:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464801#Comment_124464801

There are a lot of people on this thread trying to tell actual biological women what a woman is, I kid you not!

Former Former Former · 13-05-2026 12:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464662#Comment_124464662

Have to agree with the sentiment here as well.

Eilis O'Hanlon is extremely anti-trans, fair enough.

She's also very opposed to abortion and a keen supporter of Trump. Hmmm.

Now she is ridiculing RTE and Ireland for boycotting Eurovision in protest at a genocide.

Do you see a pattern here?

greyday · 13-05-2026 12:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464831#Comment_124464831

Any evidence you can provide for this?

It has been said many times that women having single sex spaces is not anti trans but you continue, also having sex category sports is not anti trans.

Being against allowing abortion up to term is also not against abortion and so on and on and on.

ceadaoin. · 13-05-2026 02:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464343#Comment_124464343

We know rowlings "true agenda" because she has given hundreds of millions to charitable causes over the years and has been personally involved in helping many women and children. Your attempt to smear her as not caring just because she didn't say anything about this one thing is absolutely pathetic. You have zero evidence that she even knew about it and ignored it either.

volchitsa · 13-05-2026 02:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464142#Comment_124464142

A male with DSD is male though. The DSD that Imane Khelif suffers from is not one that females can even have.

As for evidence, the admission by Khelif's own trainer of using testosterone reduction because of a "chromosome problem" is pretty good evidence. There's no "chromosome problem" that means women have high testosterone levels.

Or there's this:

That's Khelif's "chromosome problem", aka, having male chromosomes.

CatFromHue · 13-05-2026 05:14PM

How the arguments are framed by one side in this debate is amazing. Rowling not commenting, I dunno if she did or didn't I'm just going on what's on in here, on the van de Velde case is no way comparable to the Khelif and Yu Ting cases.

There is ethical considerations to take into account for van de Velde to compete in the Olympics but he did meet the eligibility criteria. Both Khelif and Yu Ting had previously failed to meet the eligibility criteria to compete and the reasons why they were now allowed to compete in the Olympics didn't add up, effectively the IOC just ignored the failed tests. These are different cases.

Like many things on the trans side people start with their desired outcomes that Rowling is bad and then work backwards to get there.

Sudden Valley · 13-05-2026 05:22PM

JK rowling bullying people online is as bad as the people bullying her online. Good luck trying to frame these actions as benign.

volchitsa · 13-05-2026 05:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124465568#Comment_124465568

I don't think she's complained about people "bullying" her online so much as the actual rape, kidnap and murder threats made against her and members of her family. I remember someone posting a photo of the outside of her home in Edinburgh with an address, actively encouraging others to turn up there "to protest". I'm pretty certain she's never done anything of the sort herself to anyone, so maybe you should only compare what's actually comparable?

Mother Shaboobu · 13-05-2026 07:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124462963#Comment_124462963

It was uncalled for by me, to be fair. And goes to show: making stuff up about people (especially non stop) is just not cool.

Mother Shaboobu · 13-05-2026 07:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124462976#Comment_124462976

You're doing that thing of pretending they're talking about something else - so clever!

But as they said, your lack of self awareness is off the scale. To state - without hesitation or shame - that you never throw out claims without evidence, is astounding.

Mother Shaboobu · 13-05-2026 07:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124463714#Comment_124463714

She's not right-wing - bullsh1t allegation.

And people are just responding to the vile, despicable, scumbaggy claims that she doesn't care about women. Sick of men like you lot. Demanding people condemn stuff yet never condemning similar stuff yourselves - which by your logic means you don't care either.

o1s1n · 13-05-2026 07:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124465931#Comment_124465931

What's with the over use of British tabloid level adjectives? It's really tiring.

DISPICABLE! VILE! Sounds like bloody Mary Whitehouse on a rant.

Fr Ted creator/writer Graham Linehan Arrested over posts on Transgender issues

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