Butlin’s have issued an apology and launched an investigation after allegations of transphobia at Bang Face festival arose.
Hosted at the Butlin’s site in Skegness, the reports were shared by Mixmag, which shared that a person came forward to recall the alleged incidents on Saturday (October 5).
According to the outlet, the person who came forward is called Jae, who alleged that five transgender women were removed from the women’s toilets around midnight during the Bang Face event.
In the statement shared with Mixmag, Jae claimed that she entered a bathroom on the site to see a security guard asking a trans woman to leave. According to the report, others in the bathroom were defending the attendee, however, the security guard left and returned with five other guards as “reinforcements”.
Jae then went on to allege to the outlet that the guards – who were reportedly hired as a third party team by Butlin’s – went on to use force against the trans attendees in the facilities. These claims include some women allegedly being “slammed against a wall”, while she herself was “lifted from the ground, dragged down a flight of stairs and chucked out the door”.
Other accusations put forward in the Mixmag report were that one woman allegedly had a wig pulled from her head.
“Security claimed it was Bang Face policy, which is absurd,” Jae claimed in a statement shared by the outlet. She added that Bang Face has always been a welcoming place for the queer community and has previously offered gender neutral toilets. She also told the outlet that several “cis women [were] shouting at security, during the alleged incident, telling them to leave the trans attendees alone.
Sharing a comment with Mixmag, Butlin’s said that the security personnel involved were “immediately removed from duty” after hearing about the alleged incident. Similarly, a spokesperson for Butlin’s told the outlet: “As an inclusive business we’re very concerned to hear about this incident. Much to our disappointment, our third-party security contractor did not follow our processes despite being thoroughly briefed.”
“Once we were made aware they were immediately removed from duty,” they continued. “We are in direct contact with those involved and carrying out an investigation which includes reviewing how we work with contractors.”
Bang Face also shared a comment with Mixmag following the alleged incident. They said they were “greatly saddened to hear of the incident involving Butlin’s third party security company” following what had been an “overwhelmingly positive weekend”.
“We have been working with those involved, friends in the trans community and Butlin’s to assist with positive change,” the statement continued. “Bang Face has always been a safe space for ravers and a place to express individuality and creativity. One day, we hope the rest of the world will catch up with the inclusion that has always been part of the rave scene.”
NME reached out to both Butlin’s and Bang Face following the reports. This is a developing story.