The Evolution of the Witch Hunt

Hand embroidery
200 x 140cm

From the very beginning of my journey into and through ‘Terfdom’, the connection to the “traditional” witch-hunts has always been apparent.

Though I am not a huge fan, Wikipedia does give an adequate definition of our modern witch-hunts in this instance: 

In contemporary English, "witch-hunt" metaphorically means an investigation that is usually conducted with much publicity, supposedly to uncover subversive activity, disloyalty and so on, but with the real purpose of harming opponents. It can also involve elements of moral panic as well as mass hysteria.

Have you seen a ‘trans-rights’ protest, witnessed, or even participated in an online pile-on of these so-called activists? Nothing summarises what happens if you don’t agree with gender identity ideology quite like this definition. 

The piece shows a progression from witch hangings and burnings and the frenzied mob they drew, into the era of the Suffragettes, whose famous protests were met with a police response that was often brutal. Suffragette women were beaten, thrown to the ground and sexually assaulted. Male bystanders also frequently attacked the protesters. Again, women who didn’t toe the party line were dehumanised and attacked. A familiar story.

And while ancient witch-hunts stemmed from a long history of the church’s theological and legal attacks on heretics, when we look at Gender Identity as a faith (which we should, since it is solely based in a belief system that has no verifiable roots in material reality) then we can better understand the extreme reactions to the non-believers. The Heretics. People like me. 

Following on from the Suffragettes we arrive at the present day mania surrounding transgenderism and it’s ideology. The feverish chanting of repetitive nonsensical mantras (“Trans Women are Women” etc), declarations of allegiance, public disavowal and dehumanisation of opponents is a constant feature of this crowd. Women have been physically attacked on various occasions too. Slogans such as “Decapitate TERFS”, “Bring back witch-burning” and “Kill Terfs” can be seen at any such gathering (‘both sides’ my arse).

In the midst of the deluded masses we can see my late friend Mary Gordon holding up her hand-sewn banner that says “FREE SPEECH FOR WOMEN”. She was a proud defender of women’s hard-won rights and could be found at many a protest, on local stickering adventures and even chalking Edinburgh’s governmental buildings (whoops). 

Since there are far too many wonderful women (and some men) involved in this fight, I opted for representational figures and signs rather than trying to fit everyone in. Mary, to me is a great representation of the ‘average’ woman who sticks her neck above the parapet (of course, sticking your neck in the firing line makes you anything but average, but she was neither famous nor wealthy, which is what is meant here by average).

Next to her is the wonderfully funny Elaine Miller or ‘Gusset Gripper’, a comedian and physio. She made many of us smile out loud when she staged her Anasyrma (Greek for “lifting of skirts”, a tradition to ward off evil) intervention at the Scottish parliament. I placed her right in front of the protesters, as to me she represents the much needed humour I thankfully found in many of my fellow travellers and which lightened many a grim episode over the years.

Behind her, holding a brilliant banner by my fellow Stitch Witch Emma Jane Dolan, who alongside me upholds the ancient tradition of using needle and thread to make our voices heard, stands Graham Linehan. A man who payed a heavy price for standing up to be counted. He has been supporting me (and many others) from the moment the mob came for me. This was years before the Royal Academy climax to my personal cancellation story and he represents the few principled men who are fighting alongside what certainly is a female majority. 

‘Hounded’, the book by my fellow cancelled creative and writer Jenny Lindsey, shows up in the form of a fox peeping out behind Elaine. He (the fox) stands for the hounding so many of us have and continue to experience. 

Next to Graham stands the ever present Dinosaur, for whom we have David Lammy to thank for. At a Labour Party conference fringe event (discussing “trans rights”) Lammy stated “there are some dinosaurs on the right”, that “those dinosaurs exist in our own party” and that they wish to “hoard rights”. Ever since the Dinosaur has been reclaimed and embraced as a cherished icon of TERFs (that famous TERven - the TERF coven of witches - humour). Many Dinosaurs with suitcases full of hoarded ‘Rights’ have graced protests and women only events ever since. 

In front of him are Trina Budge, Susan Smith and Marion Calder, the three directors of For Women Scotland, who stood up on behalf of all women when they took the Scottish government to court in a process spanning multiple years. They eventually won and were vindicated, reiterating and cementing the pre-existing legal rights of Women. Ultimately the Supreme Court declared that the legal definition of a ‘woman’ is indeed an Adult Human Female, a declaration which can be read on the banner behind them and is Kelly Jay Keene’s (of Let Women Speak) rallying cry.

The late, great Magdalene Berns casts a long shadow over what has become a modern women’s resistance movement opposing a deeply harmful ideology. She inspired many of us when she opened doors and minds with her fierce, funny and no-nonsense resistance (RIP). 

And last but not least the Golden Snitch. A multifaceted symbol that encapsulates themes of ambition, unpredictability and destiny, and of course a nod to our beloved Jo Rowling who has been a beacon of hope in the muddy waters of the ‘Gender Wars’.

£65,000
£52,000

Exhibition pre-sale price
Interest-free payment plan available
See here for more details