BFI appoint Munroe Bergdorf as keynote speaker for #womanwithacamera summit

Agree @Mogleflop

I don't know. That's logical but there's a lot of doublethink out there.

I think the #sobrave thing will still be applied for admiration, but now with an added "everyone has their limits" angle for sympathy.

There'll be some interview momentum of out "being bullied". Perhaps mentions of secret death threats and suicidal thoughts (although I sincerely hope neither is true).

Then it's a chance for someone else to book, announce it clearly and early and making it clear there's no negotiation, making a big PR fuss around "Look at us! We're the good guys, fighting the bigots!"

They'll then get attention online from critics (no publicity is bad publicity) and woke points from allies.

I hope I'm wrong though; partly for MB's sake too, no human should be used as a pawn in this way.

twitter.com/JeanHatchet/status/1008268862620610560

I think they fell for it. They thought they were booking #sobrave and they will now know what we have been saying - they booked #specialsnowflake. Those two things are very different - even if you're professionally woke.

Yes but who's going to book her now? She didn't show to do the keynote. They can spin it however they want. Events need their keynote speaker to be there - that's basic.

Everyone knows there was no actual threat of anything happening to them. Who's going to book that?

Actually I don't think it's an own-goal at all, it's a smooth move.

You get to play the brave victim card which is a lot better than the "oh shit I'm out of my depth in a room of people who know how to create films" card.

You also get to stick it to whichever woman would have been the keynote, and make a big gap and a bigger show and dance of it on the day. That whole day's narrative is now around you personally, not "women in film".

I woudl totally be brave enough to say gald they didn't come and hopefully a woman who works in film got to speak. As I said I'm not keen on celebrity anyone taking the place of people that work hard with little recognition

I'm sorry but scared of what?

What a spectacular own goal. Book a TRA, get abuse from people on Twitter, have to defend your decision (with a creeping sense of 'Hang on, are we the baddies?') AND THEN THEY DON’T EVEN SHOW UP.

Hilarious. Good work BFI.

Would you be be brave enough in that group to say "actually I'm glad they didn't turn up" though?

People on twitter are calling for anyone who signed that petition or spoke up to lose their jobs and funding.

It could literally wreck a career to say "I think women who were born as women are different and have different issues".

Terf - let's hope that was actually just all the speakers gathering at the end of the presentation, and some poster has spun it in favour of Bergdorf.

Also this no-show can’t have meant that the ‘debate’ about being inclusive didn't go ahead? (You know, that really important debate that the BFI patronisingly told us women should be having, even though this event was labelled to be for women working in film..quite a lot to cover in one day there already, you’d think... )

Anyway, seeing as a debate is never conducted by one person giving one point of view, I’m sure the other booked trans debate speakers would have managed to quickly put together some sort of.. oh? wait... The BFI had booked no other speakers on this important issue?

'Solidarity'

I think you're being a bit generous assuming that Bergdorf has much of a brain to engage. Entire career so far seems to be one enormous cock up after the other, followed by an abject apology.

HerFemaleness makes an excellent point. MB's entire career is founded on the fact that they were born a man. The press coverage, the short-lived role at L'Oreal, the equally short-lived role as a Labour spokesperson, the C4 documentary, the BFI gig, all of it.

Some stuff on the #WomanWithAMovieCamera hashtag. Didn't show, bullying cited, other speakers offered solidarity etc.

Totally support mb not being the speaker for this event as there are many woman both trans and jot that are more qualified to do this I also get tired of celebrity trans people being the only people that get asked to do anything. When if you want a trans person to talk about film I can give you 10 trans woman in film how. Will be better suited also 100s of other woman who are better suited

Huh - a no-show? After those tweets about not being bullied etc? Curious.

Like fuck will we let MB have the only say if that's the case - the petition was very well constructed about platforming women with experience. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

MB has a platform which MB could use for great things if only MB would engage MB's brain. MB could talk about inclusion, or diversity, or being trans or something. MB shouldn't take a keynote speaker space at a women's film summit - not just with the trans thing but with the being vastly inexperienced and unqualified.

I think MB has scored a bit of an own goal with even taking the position MB is not qualified to speak on. Any response is pretty bloody reasonable and MB's hurt feelings could have been avoided if MB hadn't been so egotistical in the first place.

I saw that on Twitter; some tweets about bullies forcing Munroe out.

And yes, Munroe will get credit for being a brave victim of TERFs and get way more exposure this way, also stirring up more hatred of the women who dared to speak up - all with the bonus of not having to do any work and turn up. Clever.

Munroe was supposed to speak first (hence it being the keynote speech), but it apparently didn't happen?

I'm sure we'll hear all the details in our daily lecture from Pink News.

Even if they didn't speak, let's face it. It will be 'evidence' of how they were bullied, discriminated against and silenced.

Sigh.

Busyboys why do you think this please? What time were they due to speak? I can't find much info so are we to take that as a sign it didn't happen or do you know something?

Looks like it didn't happen.

sleeping

It will also include:
a) we are all the same
b) be Nice

Didn't MB speak this morning? Does anyone know what was said?

I'll wager a MN biscuit the topics were:

1. Munroe
2. Transactivism

MB should really decline this on the grounds that this is treating MB as a man not a woman. No woman would ever be selected for something like this if their entire filmwork portfolia amounted to a single shitty documentary. The fact that MB is so poorly qualified for this and has been placed over much more experienced biological females shows that MB is still being treated as a man. MB should refuse this and denounce the BFI for its transphobia

Fantastic point. Of course, not seeing transwomen as women is fine as long as transwomen are given an advantage because of it.