Leeds preacher has conviction for transgender harassment overturned.

 

Leeds Preacher - David McConnell

A Christian preacher has had a conviction quashed by Leeds Magistrate Court after he was found guilty of harassing a transgender woman by calling her a "man" and a "gentleman."

In June 2021, David McConnell (42), from Flockton, Wakefield, had been preaching to a small crowd in Leeds when a person in the crowd, Ms Farrah Munir (19), suddenly asked, "Does God accept the LGBT community?" Addressing the crowd, Mr McConnell - who was wearing a body camera - referred to Ms Muir as "this gentleman" and said, "This is a man." The preacher then told the crowd, "Homosexuality is an abomination in the eyes of God" and added, "The Bible says lesbianism is an unnatural and vile passion." Ms Munir said she'd been left "emotionally distraught."

Mr McConnell was given a 12-month community order with 80-hours unpaid work in September 2022. At the appeal hearing, Mr McConnell told the court that in his view he was "not misgendering" and was "gendering correctly" because he knew that the person in front of him (Ms Farrah Munir), was a biological male and had therefore stayed true to God and true to his beliefs.

Recorder Anthony Hawks, who overturned Mr McConnell's conviction with two other magistrates last Thursday, said that although they accepted that Mr McConnell's words had been insulting and Ms Munir had suffered "harassment, alarm and distress", there was no evidence that he had intended to do so." Recorder Hawks told the court:

"We live in a time when free speech is important and vital and we live in a time when people's attitudes towards gender are very different from how they were years ago. All these issues need to be properly respected, so I make no criticism whatsoever of the Crown bringing a prosecution in this case."

David McConnell who was backed by the Christian Legal Centre, said he was "delighted and relieved" and added, "I am however, appalled by how I have been treated by the authorities in this matter."

Last Tuesday, the Daily Mail reported that David McConnell, had been reported to the UK's Prevent counter terrorism program over his Christian views "which were deemed to be sufficiently radical for them to be contacted." According to Mr McConnell's probation officer, he was "viewed to be persistently and illegally espousing an extreme point of view" with his "preaching, prompting the government official to 'routinely' liaise with counter-terrorism police."

The case and revelations about David McConnell have caused outrage among many Christians who see themselves being persecuted and reported as potential terrorists, because they won't celebrate and approve LGBT ideology and queer politics. The case brought against Mr McConnell, which is not an isolated case, represents a disturbing trend in British society where people who espouse traditional Christian values in public about marriage, gender, and sexual relationships, are having legal action being taken against them.