A screening of the ‘What is a Woman’ documentary by a community group at a Tauranga council library has been cancelled following complaints alleging the event was transphobic and would amplify hate speech. Yet again, a city council shows disdain for the speech rights of their ratepayers, says Jonathan Ayling, chief executive of the Free Speech Union.

“After initially acknowledging that they didn’t have the legal right to decline the group’s booking, because of freedom of expression, further complaints appear to have spurred the Council on to place onerous security requirements on the group, resulting in the cancellation.