Brighton TRAs bullying female small business owner

[SapphosRock]

Urgh. This is happening in my home town and it’s shit.

Happy Maki is a small, vegan cafe and takeaway. It’s a very ethical business. All about sustainability and green energy. They plant a tree and feed a child for each wrap made. It’s a gift economy and the food is free with a suggested donation. All very hippy. You get the idea.

A FTM trans person approached the female owner of Happy Maki and asked for support in fundraising for their top surgery. I believe they wanted a poster in the window asking for money. The owner refused. When pressed the owner said it was against her religious beliefs - she is a follower of the Divine Truth which admittedly sounds a bit ‘out there’ but not entirely unexpected given the nature of her business.

Anyway the TRAs have really gone to town and are posting in every Brighton based Facebook group, Instagram and Twitter accusing the owner of Transphobia and calling for her to apologise:

twitter.com/makiunhappy/status/1314261939833446400?s=21

They seem to be getting a lot of support and gaining a lot of traction too with many saying they are now going to boycott the business.

I’m upset about this for a lot of reasons. Obviously the female owner being bullied and harassed in this way and them encouraging people to email her. The lovely takeaway losing business. It’s also pretty tone deaf to attack the hospitality sector in the midst of a global pandemic for not supporting one individual’s elective, life changing surgery.

Anyway, the reason I’m posting here is in solidarity with the owner Anna. And if any of you lovely lot are nearby then consider getting a Happy Maki takeaway. The food is delicious and I’m sure they could do with some support right now.

www.happymaki.co.uk

See this is far more extreme than anything the workers have said. Why is this language okay about workers fine but the slightest criticism of a business owner and there are demands for prosecutions

For once I agree with you. The point could have been made without using that term.

To be clear I think the workers are behaving badly, acting like spoilt children and I don't find their version of events credible but I don't have to use that term to describe them.

You forgot the popular (?) opinion that she is apparently committing hate crimes and by implication should be held legally accountable.

IKR?

A minute ago, this woman was going to be subjected to the full wrath of ACAS (all dotted and crossed by JJ, in a cut-and-paste frenzy), the daft demand for compensation was very likely legitimate and constructive dismissal claims should, , be upheld.

Now? It's just a few silly kids criticising their boss on the net and, er, what was it? "... some random flippant comment".

Whiplash a go go.

The business owner is a real person named on in the Internet. Along with her business. Which they are trying to ruin.

The message is leave women alone.

@Datun

You forgot the popular (?) opinion that she is apparently committing hate crimes and by implication should be held legally accountable.

IKR?

A minute ago, this woman was going to be subjected to the full wrath of ACAS (all dotted and crossed by JJ, in a cut-and-paste frenzy), the daft demand for compensation was very likely legitimate and constructive dismissal claims should, , be upheld.

Now? It's just a few silly kids criticising their boss on the net and, er, what was it? "... some random flippant comment".

Whiplash a go go.

ACAS are not the police. I merely showed the guidelines which suggested these workers may have a case should they proceed to tribunal. I think it's important worker's know their rights and bosses follow proper grievance procedures because ten people are now without jobs and making claims of unfair treatment. I have not called for anyone to be prosecuted.

🤣

They didn't even want her to donate. They asked her to put up a poster. Nobody has asked her for money as far as I can see. You're talking about a real person by the way.

They emailed all the businesses in the area asking for help, as the surgery they are fundraising for is incredibly expensive.** ^

^^ see above and you're clearly deluded.

Yes I am talking about a real person and her name is Anna.

I have absolutely no doubt they will be reported to the police. You can't go around trying to ruin someone's business, smearing their reputation and harassing them online, just because they disagree with you.

It's exactly what Liz Truss has been talking about.

Yeah, you seem to forget that this young woman is a real person, in all your efforts to twist everything she has said. Only ever works one way, with you, doesn’t it?

She is a business owner and as such legally and morally accountable to her employees and her community. You do understand the power differential between employers and employees don't you?

@Datun

I have absolutely no doubt they will be reported to the police. You can't go around trying to ruin someone's business, smearing their reputation and harassing them online, just because they disagree with you.

It's exactly what Liz Truss has been talking about.

Report away. I'm sure the Brighton old bill could do with a good laugh in between looking into actual crimes.

Report away. I'm sure the Brighton old bill could do with a good laugh in between looking into actual crimes..

Nice.

However I'm afraid even the 'old bill' have to abide by the laws. As Harry the owl has pointed out.

Interested in what all of these fictional employment laws are, and why acas would give a shit.

@Anotherlovelybitofsquirrel

They didn't even want her to donate. They asked her to put up a poster. Nobody has asked her for money as far as I can see. You're talking about a real person by the way.

They emailed all the businesses in the area asking for help, as the surgery they are fundraising for is incredibly expensive.** ^

^^ see above and you're clearly deluded.

Yes I am talking about a real person and her name is Anna.

The help they asked for was would she put up a poster. That is quite clear from all the statements from all parties. Even if they did ask her for a donation so what? It's the workers who have lost their jobs. She's lost nothing. And if the fine folk of Brighton decide to no longer patronise her business because of her extreme views then she has been given a good lesson in why it's not appropriate for a business owner to air those views to their employees and customers. That's capitalism for you, she doesn't have divine right to be in business.

@Cloudybean

Interested in what all of these fictional employment laws are, and why acas would give a shit.

ACAS wouldn't give a shit, however their guidelines on things like grievance procedures are usually the standard employment tribunals work to.

@Datun

Report away. I'm sure the Brighton old bill could do with a good laugh in between looking into actual crimes..

Nice.

However I'm afraid even the 'old bill' have to abide by the laws. As Harry the owl has pointed out.

Harry the Owl took the police to court for exactly the kind of petty attempts by police to control speech online that you seem to now support.

A minute ago, this woman was going to be subjected to the full wrath of ACAS (all dotted and crossed by JJ, in a cut-and-paste frenzy), the daft demand for compensation was very likely legitimate and constructive dismissal claims should, , be upheld.

Now? It's just a few silly kids criticising their boss on the net and, er, what was it? "... some random flippant comment".

Whiplash a go go.

Indeed! It's good how the lamentably unsophisticated phone works so well for cutting and pasting text, given that it's so hard to post links or find things!

'Moral accountability' is an interesting one.

Morally, is it okay for a group of people to ambush a woman against her will and force her to hold a meeting with them?

Is it okay to share a woman's email address, religious faith and contents of a private email online?

Is it okay to incite harassment of a woman by encouraging strangers to email her and criticize her?

All food for thought.

Harry the Owl took the police to court for exactly the kind of petty attempts by police to control speech online that you seem to now support.

You’ve a bloody cheek, considering that your happy to join in the slandering of a young woman who wrote an email to ONE person and is now being bullied and harassed because of what she said. Hypocrisy must run through your veins.

Good points, Sappho.

And speaking of food I popped back to Happy Maki today. No hardship, the wraps are truly delicious. There were also some lovely flowers in the window.