Rosie Kay vs. transgender people

Rosie Kay is a British choreographer and anti-transgender activist. Kay is associated with anti-trans hate group Genspect and has spoken at their conference.

Background

Rosalind Jane “Rosie” Kay-Price was born on March 27, 1976 in Scotland to Stefan G. Kay (1944–2021) and Helen Kay and grew up in Devon. Kay began dancing at age three and trained at London Contemporary Dance School, graduating in 1998. Kay has reported being sexually assaulted as a teenager.

Following training, Kay performed as a dancer in Poland, France, Germany, and the United States. Kay returned to the UK in 2003, founded Rosie Kay Dance Company from 2004 to 2021, and set up K2CO in 2022.

Kay’s works include Sluts of Possession, The Wild Party, 5 Soldiers, Orango, MK ULTRA, Woyzeck, and Romeo + Juliet. Kay was choreographer for the Commonwealth Games handover performance between Australia and the UK in 2018.

Kay and spouse Louis Price have one child.

Anti-trans activism

In 2020, Kay performed a piece called “Adult Female Dancer.”

In 2021, Kay was forced out of Rosie Kay Dance Company after sharing anti-trans views with dancers employed by the company. Kay then became a cause célèbre among anti-trans activists. Key did a press tour complaining about being “canceled” because of “transgender ideology.”

In 2024 Kay spoke at the Genspect conference in Lisbon, Portugal. Kay’s speech was tangential to Kay’s anti-trans views. Kay expresses concern about transhumanism and post-physical views of identity. Kay laid out a materialist philosophy where identity is centered in the human body.

In May 2025, Freedom in the Arts released “Afraid to Speak Freely,” a report claiming there’s “a growing climate of fear, censorship, and ideological conformity in UK arts institutions.” It was co-authored by Rosie Kay, Denise Fahmy, and Jo Phoenix.

References

Luckhurst, Georgia (August 11, 2025). Freedom in the Arts challenges university over trans-inclusive advice. Arts Professional https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/freedom-in-the-arts-challenges-university-over-trans-inclusive-advice

Milton, Josh (December 11, 2021). Choreographer accused of ‘transphobia’ after ‘asking trans dancers to confirm genitalia.’ PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2021/12/11/rosie-kay-dancers-trans-non-binary/

Cast Members of Rosie Kay’s Romeo + Juliet (December 11, 2021). Open Letter: Dancers Respond to Rosie Kay’s Article in the Times. https://medium.com/@Co-Choreographers-Romeo-Juliet/open-letter-dancers-respond-to-rosie-kays-article-in-the-times-b1f5479a4dd7

Razzall, Katie ()December 10, 2021). Rosie Kay: Dancers write open letter to choreographer after gender row. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-59584638

Ricketts, Andy (December 10, 2021). Founder of dance charity quits after being ‘betrayed’ by trustees amid gender identity row. Third Sector https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/founder-dance-charity-quits-betrayed-trustees-amid-gender-identity-row/governance/article/1735509

Anti-trans coverage

O’Neill, Brendan (November 15, 2022). Women are being silenced by trans ideology: Rosie Kay on how she was forced out of her own dance company for defending women’s rights. Spiked https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/11/15/women-are-being-silenced-by-trans-ideology/

Sawer, Patrick (December 11, 2021). Dancers fear for their careers after manager quits amid trans row. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/12/11/dancers-fear-careers-manager-quits-amid-trans-row/

Turner, Janice (December 9, 2021). Rosie Kay: I resigned from my own dance company after I was accused of transphobia. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/rosie-kay-i-resigned-from-my-own-dance-company-after-i-was-accused-of-transphobia-gg2xczchn

Allfree, Claire (August 28, 2022). ‘The young can’t force their ideology on me’: how cancelled choreographer Rosie Kay is fighting back. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/dance/what-to-see/young-cant-force-ideology-how-cancelled-choreographer-rosie/

Griffiths, Sian (July 10, 2022). ‘Cancelled’ dancer Rosie Kay puts free speech centre stage. The Sunday Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/cancelled-dancer-rosie-kay-puts-free-speech-centre-stage-rd52r5n2j

Selected writing by Kay

Fahmy, Denie; Kay, Rosie; Phoenix, Jo (May 2025). Afraid to Speak Freely: Survey of freedom of expression in the arts 2025. Freedom in the Arts https://static1.squarespace.com/static/64a6f863d07ed962ae999ae0/t/6819e95bfa65874ec0ef22a2/1746528604026/FITA+Speak+Freely.pdf

Kay, Rosie (September 2024). Part 1 The Body is the Frontline: Trans, the Military, the Body and Dance. https://rosiekay.substack.com/p/part-1-the-body-is-the-frontline

Part 2 https://rosiekay.substack.com/p/the-body-is-the-frontline-trans-the
Part 3 https://rosiekay.substack.com/p/part-3-the-body-is-the-frontline
Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyuxqc5H2o

Kay, Rosie (July 17, 2024). The youth don’t have any culture: There is no arts culture for young people and that is why they are protesting. It’s all they’ve got. Rosie Kay’s Substack https://rosiekay.substack.com/p/the-youth-dont-have-any-culture

Kay, Rosie (July 9, 2024). The Playbook of Cancellation. Rosie Kay’s Substack https://rosiekay.substack.com/p/the-playbook-of-cancellation

Kay, Rosie (December 17, 2021). My body will never be erased. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/12/my-body-will-never-be-erased/?=frlh

Media

Unscripted Podcast with Rosie Kay and Jenny Lindsay (December 3, 2025). Unscripted with Rosie Kay and Jenny Lindsay Episode 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKC3xNlk7Fc

Unscripted Podcast with Rosie Kay and Jenny Lindsay (October 22, 2025). UNSCRIPTED Episode One. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfe0KmjMg3g

The Base with Morgan Watkins, Oliver Bennett, and Rosie Kay (November 26, 2025). Freedom in the Arts with Rosie Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS9Onvy7SIY

Spiked / The Brendan O’Neill Show with Brendan O’Neill and Rosie Kay (December 30, 2025). Rosie Kay: How woke is killing the arts | The Brendan O’Neill Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izF1vwVK7Fs

Quillette with Jonathan Kay and Rosie Kay (June 5, 2025). Why British Artists Are Afraid to Speak Freely: With Dancer and Choreographer Rosie Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y12m8Gi8xjI

GBNews / Free Speech Nation with josh Howe and Rosie Kay (May 18, 2025). How Fear, Groupthink & Censorship Took Control of British Arts and Culture | Rosie Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afjuuF_vOxs

Free Speech Union with Rosie Kay Vivienne Parry, Kate Maltby, Jo Phoenix, and Toby Young (May 9, 2025). Freedom in the ARTS: Afraid to Speak Freely.

Genspect with Rosie Kay (February 20, 2025). Vox Pop Conference Interview with Rosie Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdH2PTv7wyI

Genspect with Rosie Kay (February 15, 2025). The Battle for Body, Mind, and Meaning – Rosie Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyuxqc5H2o

heretics with Andrew Gold and Rosie Kay (November 14, 2024). How Gender Activists Ruined My Life – Rosie Kay (4K). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTWO3CJTXzU

The Knight Tube with Stephen Knight, Iram Ramzan, Rosie Duffield and Rosie Kay. (November 7, 2024). Trans Ideology, what next? The Knight Tube: Live from Westminster w/ Rosie Duffield and Rosie Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T88FKtApSBs

Spiked / The Brendan O’Neill Show with Brendan O’Neill and Rosie Kay (January 18, 2024). Rosie Kay: When art becomes propaganda. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwqZebcE-s8

Peter Boghossian with Rosie Kay (October 20, 2023). Can Art Exist Without Free Expression? | Peter Boghossian & Rosie Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o8IddAdO2o

Free Speech Union with Kathleen Stock and Rosie Kay (May 30, 2023). FSU Arts Forum: Dr Kathleen Stock in conversation with choreographer Rosie Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9WV4j2ajkM

TRIGGERnometry with Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster, and Rosie Kay (February 15, 2023). Defending Women Cost Me My Business – Rosie Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADPCE6APDwE

Spiked / The Brendan O’Neill Show with Brendan O’Neill and Rosie Kay (November 10, 2022). Rosie Kay: When the woke Stasi came for me | The Brendan O’Neill Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4ZZ8ObhkQ4

FAIR Perspectives with Melissa Chen, Angel Eduardo, and Rosie Kay (November 8, 2022). FAIR Perspectives Ep. 32 – Standing Up to Intolerance in the Arts w/ Rosie Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCInPXkmbvw

GBNews with Andrew Doyle, James Dreyfus, and Rosie Kay (October 16, 2022). Andrew Doyle speaks to choreographer Rosie Kay and actor James Dreyfus at Battle of Ideas festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfODwZN7R98

[clip] Rosie Kay on having to resign from her own dance company due to her views on transgender identity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z_iptxfFLk

Reclaim the Media with Laurence Fox and Rosie Kay (October 2, 2022). Rosie Kay & Laurence Fox: The Arts, Lost To Gender Ideology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3Nny8sjtHM

Sky News Australia with Rowan Dean and Rosie Kay (August 16, 2022). Cancelled dancer speaks out on ‘horrific’ bullying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47Z-dEOglFk

The Spectator with Winston Marshall and Rosie Kay (August 1, 2022). Rosie Kay: Controversial choreography and overcoming an cancelling | SpectatorTV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-06xwkEG2IY

Rosie Kay (May 2021). Adult Female Dancer. https://rosiekay.substack.com/p/adult-female-dancer