The Tate rejected the activists’ criticisms, telling The Telegraph: “We have chosen to screen a work that does not propose one perspective on the question of womanhood, but instead considers multiple perspectives.

“It is presented at the Tate Late as part of a wider programme of events, displays and exhibitions in the gallery which celebrate the art of women and their experiences, and as always, we aim to be inclusive of all perspectives.”

However, Claudia Clare, one of the protesters, accused the Tate of running a “project to replace sex with gender identity” and said it was “not a neutral space”.

“Where is the What is a Man film?” she asked.

Freya, one of the coordinators of the protest who did not want to give her full name for fear of a backlash, claimed that “female artists are being cancelled for expressing their very reasonable and protected belief that human beings cannot change sex”.

She added: “Artists and curators are having to publicly present themselves as falling in line with this compelled speech in order to continue to work.”

She pointed to the Tate’s pledge to “role-model the right ways to behave” and said that it was sending a message that “clearly, the ‘right way’ for women to behave is to shut up or stay away”.

The activists watched the film in full, without disruption, before beginning their protest. 

They said that they did not want to stop another woman’s art from being shown.