BFI appoint Munroe Bergdorf as keynote speaker for #womanwithacamera summit

[SunsetBeetch]

This is just getting flipping ridiculous now. Munroe has made one very recent, very shoddy documentary.

Thrilled to be opening the @BFI #WomanWithAMovieCamera Summit to talk about feminism, power and culture.

t.co/gBU9fTCD7l

I'd like to see a woman involved the next trans event. You know, the biological 'type'.

I am a cis-woman who identifies as trans. I think I’d be well-qualified to be the keynote speaker for a trans event, and to point out the trans-privilege of the delegates, as well as widen the bandwidth of what it means to be trans.

MB has gone straight to the front of a queue most women find themselves in all their working days within film/tv.

^^This

It’s a particularly sexist industry. I know several women who have tried and failed to make it BEFORE having kids + those who did make it in an appropriate way compared to men of similar experience. Then they had kids and it was end game. They left and did something else or took on office based roles. Women’s work.

I am a cis-woman who identifies as trans. I think I’d be well-qualified to be the keynote speaker for a trans event, and to point out the trans-privilege of the delegates, as well as widen the bandwidth of what it means to be trans

It depends what the event is on. If it is, a general trans event you seem to fit the bill and will be widening the lens. If it is say 'Trans people in the gardening industry' I'm afraid we will have to check to ensure that you have absolutely no qualifations or experience in gardening, and if you do, we will have to ask you to step down.

*MB has gone straight to the front of a queue most women find themselves in all their working days within film/tv.

^^This

It’s a particularly sexist industry. I know several women who have tried and failed to make it BEFORE having kids + those who did make it in an appropriate way compared to men of similar experience. Then they had kids and it was end game. They left and did something else or took on office based roles. Women’s work*

Presumably this is exactly what the reason they are having a 'Women in film' event in the first place. Because they know it is sexist or exclusionary on some level!

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.

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

sleeping

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

Looks like it didn't happen.

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?

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

Sigh.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

'Solidarity'

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?

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.

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".

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.

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

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".

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?