The usually vibrant streets of Brighton were charged with tension and activism this weekend as the annual FiLiA Conference, billed as Europe’s largest grassroots feminist gathering, kicked off at the Brighton Centre. The three-day event, running from October 10 to October 12, 2025, drew more than 2,400 delegates and 250 speakers from across the globe. But this year, the conference found itself at the epicenter of a fierce debate over trans rights, feminism, and the boundaries of free speech.
As attendees filtered into the conference’s packed schedule of workshops, panels, art installations, films, performances, stalls, and even a women-only party, a different kind of energy was building outside. Transgender activists, led by groups such as the Trans Liberation Front (TLF) Brighton and the direct-action collective 'BASH BACK', staged vocal protests and rallies. Their message was clear: FiLiA, in their view, was promoting anti-trans policies and rhetoric that endangered the very people Brighton prided itself on welcoming.
Posters plastered around the city, courtesy of TLF Brighton, accused FiLiA of supporting “anti trans policies, anti sex work policies, opposing adult content online including in video games,” and being “pro police and tough on crime.” The group mobilized its members for a three-day protest outside the Brighton Centre, determined to make their opposition visible and impossible to ignore. According to The Argus, the activists argued that the conference’s positions on single-sex spaces and sex-based rights amounted to exclusion of transgender women and a rollback of hard-won protections.
The protests reached a dramatic crescendo when 'BASH BACK', a self-described “trans-led direct-action project,” targeted the Brighton Centre itself. According to Scene Magazine, the group smashed windows and sprayed pink paint on the venue’s facade the night before the conference began. Their stated aim: “to prove trans people will not be intimidated” and to warn FiLiA that if it continued with what they called “transphobic hate,” it should “expect retaliation.” In a statement, a spokesperson for 'BASH BACK' declared, “Paint washes off, but blood never does.”
The group’s ire was especially focused on the conference’s roster of speakers and past guests. They singled out Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, Maya Forstater, Julie Bindel, LGBAlliance, Transgender Trend, and Jenny Wilmott—the latter being director of Scottish Lesbians and a figure in a recent Supreme Court ruling that excluded trans women from sex-based protections in the U.K. 'BASH BACK' accused FiLiA and its allies of advocating for “the erasure of women’s bodily autonomy and self determination,” and claimed their rhetoric contributed to the discriminatory violence that “kills hundreds of trans people every year.”
Inside the Brighton Centre, FiLiA’s leadership struck a markedly different tone. Lisa-Marie Taylor, FiLiA CEO, emphasized the charity’s commitment to inclusion and respectful debate. “Brighton is a City of Sanctuary—in 2025 it is surely vital that the city supports all groups protected under the Equality Act, including sex-based rights, and promotes diversity and peaceful discussion,” she said in a statement quoted by The Argus. Taylor reiterated that FiLiA supports the provision of single-sex services in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, but “disputes that this equates to transphobia.” She described the conference as “a powerful platform for women’s voices to be heard and amplified,” welcoming anyone who wished to join in good faith.
The legal backdrop to the controversy was a July 2025 Supreme Court judgment, which clarified that references to “sex,” “man,” and “woman” in the Equality Act refer to biological sex at birth. This ruling, widely reported by The Argus and other outlets, has reignited tensions between transgender communities and so-called “gender critical” feminists—sometimes labeled as “Terfs” (trans-exclusionary radical feminists), a term considered derogatory by some. The ruling has left many trans activists feeling that their rights and safety are under renewed threat, while supporters of the judgment argue it safeguards the rights of women and girls.
The conference’s high-profile connections have only added fuel to the fire. J.K. Rowling, who spoke at the 2023 FiLiA conference, remains a lightning rod in these debates. As reported by LGBTQ Nation, Rowling has used her considerable fortune—her Harry Potter franchise is estimated by The Guardian to be worth $25 billion—to fund legal challenges against trans rights in the U.K. and Ireland. Her JK Rowling Women’s Fund, operating since late 2024, has quietly supported legal cases “involving women’s and girls’ sex-based rights,” including a £70,000 (about $89,000) donation to For Women Scotland, the group behind the recent Supreme Court challenge. Rowling’s positions, and her financial backing of gender critical causes, have made her a hero to some and a villain to others.
Even popular culture hasn’t escaped the controversy. On October 10, 2025, comedian Bowen Yang brought the debate to a national audience with a pointed Saturday Night Live sketch. Yang portrayed Dobby the House Elf, the anxious servant from Rowling’s Harry Potter series, satirizing the author’s transphobic politics during the show’s Weekly Update segment. The sketch lampooned Rowling’s post-publication declaration that Dumbledore was gay and her support for a Black Hermione on Broadway, while poking fun at the author’s insistence on defining womanhood in exclusionary terms. The segment didn’t shy away from the real-world impact of these debates, referencing Rowling’s financial contributions to anti-trans legal efforts and the backlash she’s received.
The Brighton Centre, for its part, sought to strike a note of neutrality and inclusivity. In a statement, the venue emphasized its “unwavering commitment to creating an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging.” The Centre highlighted its history of hosting events for a wide range of communities and perspectives, clarifying that “individual events represent a wide cross-section of opinions that should not be attributed to those of the attendees, audience or venue staff but are reflective of a democratic society.” The statement concluded by reaffirming the venue’s commitment to freedom of speech, so long as events operate within the law and venue policy.
Local officials also weighed in. Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne opened the 2025 conference, describing it as “an incredibly important space for bold conversations.” Meanwhile, voices from the transgender community, such as Philip Stewart of Lancing, expressed deep concern: “This town is a safe space for trans people. My whole community is queer and I’m very, very protective of my community. My trans friends come from all over the country to be safe. This can’t go ahead.”
As the conference continues, the city of Brighton finds itself at the intersection of impassioned activism, complex legal battles, and a national conversation about who gets to define feminism, womanhood, and the boundaries of inclusion. The events of this weekend have underscored just how high the stakes are for all involved, and how fiercely both sides are willing to fight for their vision of justice and equality.
In the end, Brighton’s streets—and its people—remain a testament to the ongoing struggle for recognition, rights, and the right to be heard, no matter which side of the debate you’re on.
