“Father Ted” creator Graham Linehan was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport over three “anti trans” social media posts, and he essentially doubled down when he showed up in court.
Standing outside the building, Linehan wore a sandwich board with dual messages, “There’s no such thing as a ‘Transgender Child,'” and, “Keep Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
Riley Gaines, a leading defender of women’s single-sex spaces, shared video footage of the Irish comedy writer’s unique protest.
“This is how Graham Linehan shows up for trial in the UK just days after being arrested in the London airport for posting ‘offensive tweets,'” Gaines said on X. “This is how you deal with the trans mob. Double down. We’re cheering you on.”
This is how Graham Linehan shows up for trial in the UK just days after being arrested in the London airport for posting “offensive tweets”
This is how you deal with the trans mob. Double down. We’re cheering you on, @Glinner pic.twitter.com/vWVItcwUGK
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) September 4, 2025
Linehan wrote about his arrest on Substack.
“The moment I stepped off the plane at Heathrow, five armed police officers were waiting. Not one, not two — five. They escorted me to a private area and told me I was under arrest for three tweets,” he wrote, while sharing audio of his arrest.
“In a country where [pedophiles] escape sentencing, where knife crime is out of control, where women are assaulted and harassed every time they gather to speak, the state had [mobilized] five armed officers to arrest a comedy writer for this tweet (and no, I promise you, I am not making this up),” Linehan added.
The comedian also noted that he had “single bail condition: I am not to go on Twitter.”
The harmless tweets in question can be seen here:
J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series of novels, responded to a post from The Free Speech Union to say, “What the f*ck has the UK become? This is totalitarianism. Utterly deplorable.”
What the fuck has the UK become? This is totalitarianism. Utterly deplorable. https://t.co/CRl2n9rorh
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 2, 2025
Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:
When “free speech” means you can praise drag queens in front of kids…
But you get dragged to court for saying “there’s no such thing as a transgender child.”That’s not justice. That’s regime enforcement.
The real crime? Speaking common sense out loud.
— Dr. Lucien Wolfe (@LucienWolfe111) September 4, 2025
The trans thing is all about control. If the government can arrest you for stating a fundamental truth, they can arrest you for saying anything.
— Jefferson Bailey (@JeffersonBaile6) September 4, 2025
— The Immortal (@TheImmortal007) September 4, 2025
When armed police are standing waiting for you because you’ve voiced your opinions – and, as part of bail, you’re not allowed to voice your opinions…
It’s quite hard to argue you’re a nation that has free speech.
— (@sheminary) September 2, 2025
So in today’s UK, five armed officers can’t be spared for knife crime on the streets, but they’ve got time to storm Heathrow over three tweets?
Orwell must be rolling in his grave.
How does a nation justify unleashing counter-terror style policing on a comedy writer while…
— mdtlion (@mdtlion) September 2, 2025
This pretty much sums it up.♂️ pic.twitter.com/T8rjl5BNVw
— Deano998 (@Deano9981) September 2, 2025
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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