Sara Morrison vs Belfast Film Festival

[NorthernIrishFeminist]

Employers seem to be slow learners when it comes to women's rights! There’s another employment tribunal case being brought by a woman who attended and took the microphone at a Let Women Speak event in Belfast last year and has been treated very badly by her employer Belfast Film Festival as a result.

Looks like we’re going to have to keep gardening until they get the message.

disclaimer. I don’t know Sara and have no connection to BFF I’m just a woman who likes donating to causes that make a difference

I can't see MD so maybe her affect is different, but her words are giving me the impression that she doesn't give a damn about the tribunal, SM, fairness, the law, constructive dismissal, etc etc.

I suspect the only court she respects is the court of gender ideology, and as long as she stays true to that, is the perfect trans ally, and despises the Nazi bigot transphobes, she's good.

And I also suspect that even if the trib finds in favour of SM, MD & Co will glide on in their careers, reputation unblemished, because so many similar organisations are so captured.

That's just my impression from her flippancy and snotty replies to NC.

I worked across NI for many years some decades ago. It was usually pretty obvious to note people's backgrounds based on the indicators you've mentioned.

I'm following this E.T. fairly quietly as I had cause to encounter Lep McKeown as was, now "Laurence" The Author and People's Good Egg.
Clever and ruthless.

He's been pulling a lot of puppet strings in the background. These people bark when told to.

I'm not getting a great vibe from the judge either with regard to NC.

From NW

... for many weeks.
NC and you deliberately put her back into the firing line
MD she told me it had all calmed down
NC you must have known the risk
MD "possibly", but if you look at the email list there are a lot of individuals who are award-winning film-makers

What was the email again? Was it the one SM didn't want sending out? What did it say?

From NW

[MD goes into a long explanation as to why using the Big Screen was imperative to their operation and sponsors]
NC in dreaming up that event on 25 June - "it was a deliberate ploy to reignite the storm - it was a reckless risk with Sara's health and wellbeing"
MD no - "this could have been seen as a bridge-building moment, because there were a lot of groups that Sara got on with". She didn't say anything transphobic in the her speech she said it had all calmed down - this could have been a happy moment.
NC you knew she didn't want to send the email
MD that was because of the Alliance in Action
NC you knew she was was frightened
MD no
NC she was rightly frightened "and your action in doing this was cruel, wasn't it?
MD I don't accept that for one minute"

KittyWilkinson I worked across NI for many years some decades ago. It was usually pretty obvious to note people's backgrounds based on the indicators you've mentioned.

I forgot to mention the obvious indicators, e.g. keeping the toaster in a press, not liking Abba, and having freckles😁
[Derry Girls 'cross-community bridge-building exercise' ref]

but if you look at the email list there are a lot of individuals who are award-winning film-makers

But, but, but, but, award-winning film-makers...

From NW

[moves to another doc]
NC on 7 July you get the permission that you need to put PBS event on from council for an event on 30 July.
MD yes
NC and then I think we see it somewhere - you'll agree the pencilled tent booking was made and then you cancelled it - and the reality is...

... you knew it wasn't going to happen - you and SM were both on holiday for two weeks
MD I was on holiday for 1 week, SM was on holiday for 2 weeks
J I think you said 7 - 20 July
MD the holiday dates are irrelevant because once we initiate them they are run by our freelance...

This is riveting

From NW

... team with oversight from one staff member.
NC you're not naive about social media
MD nope. I'm not naive about anything
NC you were savvy enough to hide the reply tweet re SM on 18 April
MD after speaking to my marketing manager - she broiught it to my attention
NC you did an efficient job of damping down the aftermath of the LWS event
MD "the reputational damage was unprecedented" I had to look after my team
NC so are you really asking us to believe that when you sent that email on 3 July you didn't know what was going to happen
MD I was shocked [talks about abuse she's had from people supporting SM's crowdfunder and how she's stepped away from social media since then]
NC MC is an important charismatic member of your board. Influential.
MD all our board are
NC on 25 June MC sets the ball rolling, on 28 June in the meeting no one can recall you work out how to set the process in motion and send the first email on 29 June
MD no we needed to use the Big Screen
NC the screen had been used once before in Docs Ireland
NC and then on 3 July you send the email which caused all the fuss
MD no there is no process or plan this is rubbish
NC and that's why there is no paper trail at all about setting up PBS
MD no
NC and you have this meeting with your board members which you say you can't remember, but you can remember it and it's where you cook up the plan

Yes, that was a single post.

MD the holiday dates are irrelevant

And she said this to the judge interjecting? 😳

So MD had a meeting with incoming chair people (which she now can't remember) and that night sent an email to all and sundry setting up an event (and kicking a hornets nest) that she then cancelled a week or so later?

Is that the gist?

And here comes Naomi pulling together all those unchallenged remarks to make her case.

Hoist on their own petard.

NC you're not naive about social media
MD nope. I'm not naive about anything

She sure isn't - disingenuous, yes, naive, no.

I'm watching this one quietly for I have noticed a few people named or alluded to that I know - not that I ever had much to do with the fillum festival, it's just a stupidly small place.

As for indicators of someone's religion, if you've a good ear for accents you can have a pretty good guess at the area they grew up in.

So the idea that you don't know the community background of your co-workers is bollocks. You know at least 90% of them without even making an effort.

I recall meeting a man who told me that he had over 90 ways of identifying a member of another background. You'll know what I mean.

I can only remember about ten of them, but it was a most illuminating lecture.
The toaster in the press made me laugh, I must have fallen asleep at that point, but I do remember the freckles, and something about distance between the eyes.😁

MD nope. I'm not naive about anything

'All knowing?' - quite a claim

That she can't remember less than 12 hours after it happened!

And yes, that is the gist. Because that's the meeting where they allegedly try and fit up Sara to be dismissed.

He paused and tried to reword it. He was trying to get to bananarama - you can tell he’s tried to read up / been coached on it. But he couldn’t quite get there.

Naomi smiled.

I've got a couple of IKEA instruction leaflets I could chuck in if it helps.

From NW

NC quite striking that no one can remember what happened at the meeting on 28 June isn't it?
MD doesn't answer
NC and that's why there's no planning of the event until the small hours of 29 June
MD is that a question?
NC yes
MD no

NC indicates she is going to move on
J are you okay Ms D - do you need a break
MD no I'm dead on

NC so on 4 July mid-morning you email MTM and LBD to tell them you are implementing the plan you came up with
MD I reject your language - there was no plan - I did send an email
NC why report back to them - this was pretty routine
MD no
NC please don't interrupt
MD sorry

NC what was special about this
MD we had just had a complicated period of time in April or whenever it was
NC are you saying it was becuase you knew of the sensitivities aroiund SM's contact with the LGBTQ peopel on that list

... that you were reporting back to them.
MD yeah I thought there might be one or two people who might have reacted. SM told it would be fine. and I thought it would be okay "maybe I'm overly optimistic about human nature"
NC in your email you have an on way of referring to...

From NW

... Alliance for Choice.
MD I honestly believe the only thing we would get back is maybe a complaint from AfC
NC you call that email confidential - why
MD somethings are
NC it's confidential 1 - was there any more traffic on that thread
MD I don't know
NC SM said this was another

test. Like asking if she would share a toilet with a transwoman or starting an LBGTQ project with Kabosh.
"it was a deliberate stirring up of trouble for her"
MD n. "all along with those whole process that there were no issues, that everything had passed that she had no problem working with LGBT orgs so I proceeded assuming she would do her job in the same way."

MD I was shocked [talks about abuse she's had from people supporting SM's crowdfunder and how she's stepped away from social media since then]

I found this a particularly snide side swipe from MD when NC was specifically asking about SM's well founded fears and emotions.

On that e-mail debacle I have another thought but I will hold it for a lull during reporting.

From NW

NC we go to Queerspace's response to MD's 3 July email:
"We take the safety of our members seriously and are very concerned by one aspect
of this event. We have trans people in our group, as well as a strong history of trans
inclusion. In your email, you have copied a member of Belfast Film Festival staff who
spoke at the “Posie Parker” rally in Belfast. Her speech is available online and the
content is distressing. She spoke openly against Trans rights."