Kew Gardens denounce anti-trans “hatred and intolerance”

The owners of one of the world’s largest botanical gardens have responded to backlash and harassment over their staff's decision to share their pronouns.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, located in Kew, south-west London, faced an anti-trans backlash after displaying signs around the gardens that included information about several staff members, including their pronouns.

Gender-critical users on social media began harassing members of the organisation, claiming that no one “gives a toss” about their gender identity, according to ‘MSN’.

Others demanded that Kew remove the signs, which contained information on the queer symbolism of certain plants, calling them “absurd” and “embarrassing.”

One individual wrote: “I still remember my first visit to Kew when I was about 10. I was captivated. You ruin everything.”

In response to the backlash, the organisation issued a statement on X/Twitter, opposing bigotry and harassment in all its forms.

“We’re deeply disappointed to see some of our staff and students subjected to online harassment,” the post stated. “Hatred and intolerance have no place at Kew, and we’re more committed than ever to embracing diversity and creating an inclusive environment for all.”

They also reiterated their priorities and core missions, which include community access schemes, ensuring that everyone has access to their educational programs, and inspiring the next generation of botanists.

As part of their mission, last year, the botanical gardens hosted an event celebrating queer nature, including the diversity of plants and fungi.

Image Credit: Canva

The event aimed to demonstrate how traditional and arguably outdated concepts of gender do not apply to plants, highlighting that stamens and stigma—commonly referred to as the “male” and “female” parts of a flower—can develop on the same species.

“For plants and fungi, sex isn’t always static,” an introduction to the event read. “Ruizia mauritiana can change the type of flowers it produces depending on the temperature of the environment. In hot conditions, it grows male flowers, while in cooler conditions, it produces female ones.

“The more we discover, the more we learn that nature is wildly diverse in so many ways.”

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