COMPLAINTS have been made over social media posts a city councillor 'liked' and shared about the transgender community.

Posts shared and 'liked' on Twitter by Carlisle City Council member Jo Ellis-Williams have caused anger amongst some in the LGBTQ community.

They say that the posts are promoting offensive anti-transgender views. The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands a letter has been submitted by Cumbria Pride, to the city council, expressing the concerns of some in the LGBTQ community. The letter calls for a standards investigation into the tweets.

An anonymous Carlisle resident said: "I'm aware that a complaint has gone in by Cumbria Pride and I'm also included in complaints made to the Labour Party (Nationally) before she crossed the floor."

They said: "It's something that's made a lot of LGBTQ people feel uncomfortable about who they are which just shouldn't be in our politics. If councillors aren't making us feel like it's a safe space for LGBTQ people they aren't doing their jobs properly."

Cllr Jo Ellis-Williams said: "I completely refute any claims that I am causing harm or distress to anyone. Twitter is a public forum with many different opinions. I have very few followers and no one has ever taken any notice or offence of what I have said on Twitter before.

"As a feminist and an advocate of women’s rights, I have been using my personal Twitter account to show support of women such as JK Rowling, Martina Navratilova, Labour MP Rosie Duffield, Maya Forstater and Germaine Greer for more than two years.

"I have supported the views of these women, and groups that advocate for them, because we have seen a move towards the erosion of women’s rights that were hard fought for.

"I believe women-only spaces should be protected – prisons, refuges, hospital wards, changing rooms. Trans-women who have not undergone gender reassignment, should not access these spaces."

Cllr Ellis-Williams said: "I have supported someone else’s opinion on my personal Twitter feed; it is not distressing and harmful in anyway.

"Unfortunately, we see this so much more frequently in society now, cancel culture is endemic. If someone doesn’t agree with an opinion different to their own, they make a complaint, rather than engage in reasonable and civil debate."

But the anonymous resident said: "That goes both ways, she's an elected councillor, I'm a member of the LGBTQ community who found that insulting."

Cllr Ellis-Williams said: "It is worrying that this complaint only comes after me leaving the Labour Party. Now I am a Conservative Cllr they are shocked by my views and submit a complaint to the Council Standards Committee.

"I would hope that people can see that this is the type of behaviour that led me to leave the party in the first place."

A spokesperson for Cumbria Pride said: "We can confirm that we have been contacted by a number of people anonymously about this issue. A large volume of anti-LGBTQ+ material had been liked and retweeted on councillor Jo Ellis-Williams’ public Twitter page which our community had found very distressing and hurtful.

"We feel it beneath the standards we expect from those who hold public office, so as an LGBTQ+ charity who represent the people of Cumbria we of course have notified the standards committee. We have yet to receive a response."

Leader of the council and its Conservative Party, John Mallinson has said he supports Jo in her views which she has been consistent on.

Cllr Mallinson said: "My first point is I'm not in a position to confirm whether or not a complaint has been received.

"I would be surprised if a complaint comes forward at this time and perhaps it has more to do with Jo's change in party allegiance in the last few days.

"As far as I'm aware, her position on these matters is firm and has been consistent for a number of years."