This arrest is patently absurd. Armed police targeting a comedian for his fact-based views is chilling and Orwellian. The U.K.'s obsession with policing speech, especially truths like "men can't be women," must end. Free expression has been under attack for a while now, with compelled language enforcing delusion over reality. This authoritarian trend threatens everyone's rights.
Europe's backslide on LGBTQ+ rights, not Linehan's arrest, is the real issue. Far-right politicians weaponize trans issues, fueling hate crimes and violence. Laws banning LGBTQ+ events and speech, like Hungary's Pride ban, marginalize communities and erode democracy. While Linehan complains about not being able to harass sexual minorities, his anti-trans movement is causing real, physical harm to LGBTQ+ people.
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