Brace yourselves, because Butlin’s just pulled a major mess at Bang Face, the wild two-day music event at their Skegness holiday camp, and it’s all over the way they handled their security. On October 5, a group of trans women says they were physically dragged from the women’s toilets by security, leading to a massive social media uproar and the swift suspension of two guards. Butlin’s admitted they’re “very disappointed” in how their third-party security dealt with things, stressing that the guards went rogue and ignored company procedures. They’re now launching an internal investigation and scrambling to do damage control.
This all hit the fan when event-goer Jae Roberts took to Instagram, claiming they were slammed against a wall and dragged downstairs just for trying to stand up for the trans women being removed. According to Roberts, the toilets erupted in chants of “Let them pee!” while security went full force, calling in ten extra guards to haul people out. Roberts says they were personally dragged down a flight of stairs by two guards, sparking even more fury over Butlin’s approach.
And, like clockwork, J.K. Rowling dove into the controversy, blasting Butlin’s on X (formerly Twitter) for prioritizing “cross-dressing men” (her words) over what she calls women’s right to “privacy and dignity.” Rowling demanded Butlin’s clarify its stance on trans women in women’s spaces, so families can “make an informed choice” about booking a stay.
Butlin’s, in response, says their decision to boot the guards had zero to do with the gender of those involved but everything to do with how recklessly they handled the situation. They’ve promised they’re “in contact with those affected” and are already re-evaluating their partnerships with outside contractors.
With divided social media reactions, Butlin’s is caught in the crossfire, with some commenters backing their decision to suspend the guards and others furious over how they treated the trans women. While Butlin’s insists they’re taking this “very seriously,” they haven’t actually spelled out a clear policy on trans women using women’s restrooms. For now, this corporate clean-up might need more than a mop and bucket.
