Sara Morrison v BFF - thread 5

[SexRealistic]

https://genderblog.net/sara-morrison-v-belfast-film-festival/

Thread 1: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4991660-sara-morrison-vs-belfast-film-festival?page=30&reply=148521962
Thread 2: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5444170-sara-morrison-vs-belfast-film-festival-thread-2?page=31&reply=148550280
Thread 3:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5444914-sara-morrison-v-bff-thread-3?page=1
Thread 4:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5445740-sara-morrison-v-bff-thread-4?page=33&reply=148616400

Thanks to @MyrtleLion

Case summary

Sara Morrison (SM) was the Inclusion and Audience Development Co-ordinator at Belfast Film Festival (BFF). She has an adult trans-identifying son, helped re-establish rape crisis services in Northern Ireland after a 13-year gap, and believes women’s organisations should maintain women-only spaces for vulnerable women.

Sara spoke at a Let Women Speak event in Belfast on 16 April 2023, criticising several women’s and advocacy organisations for abandoning single-sex principles. She did not identify herself or her employer, but she was recognised.

A targeted online campaign began within hours, tagging BFF and demanding she be dismissed. Sara experienced sustained online abuse and became socially isolated.
Watch the footage here (Sara starts at 1hr 4mins):

She informed BFF Director Michele Devlin (MD), who initially responded supportively. In June 2023, Michele raised concerns about Sara’s views, said the BFF Board had been shown her speech, and questioned her about sharing facilities with trans-identifying people. Sara continued working visibly through the BFF documentary season without incident.
In July 2023, during planning for Belfast Pride, an LGBT arts organisation publicly labelled Sara a “transphobic bigot,” triggering another online pile-on. BFF issued a public statement saying it was “investigating,” which intensified the pressure. An external HR investigation followed. Sara was advised to work from home, lost access to email and shared drives, and was asked to return her office keys. She felt frozen out, viewed the investigation as biased, initiated a grievance, went on sick leave, and began medication.
While she was off sick, MD attended Belfast Pride wearing a “Trans Inclusive Feminist” t-shirt and posted photos online before deleting them.

In June 2024, journalist Jo Bartosch shared Sara’s crowdfunding campaign https://x.com/jo_bartosch/status/1798410239730982919, which was amplified by JK Rowling

https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1798434418023112789.

In November 2024, Sara resigned from BFF and claimed constructive dismissal.

Sara’s case, Morrison v Belfast Film Festival, is legally significant because in Great Britain, the Forstater ruling (2021, upheld 2022) confirmed that gender-critical beliefs are protected as a philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010. However, the Equality Act does not apply in Northern Ireland, which instead uses a patchwork of older anti-discrimination laws (including the Sex Discrimination Order 1976 and the Fair Employment and Treatment Order 1998).
How Forstater and the subsequent For Women Scotland Supreme Court ruling interact with Northern Ireland’s legislation is unresolved. As a result, this tribunal in Belfast the following week is being treated as a test case.

Sara is represented by barristers Naomi Cunningham and Charlotte Elves, as well as solicitor Simon Chambers.

Summary extracted from Nick Wallis’ blog about the case: https://genderblog.net/sara-morrison-v-belfast-film-festival/

The Employment Tribunal hearing started on Monday 10 November and is expected to last at least two weeks.

During the Tribunal, a panel member, Deborah Boyd, stood down for "health reasons", after Morrison’s legal team applied to have the entire judging panel removed. Naomi Cunningham accused Boyd of bias and failing to declare her bias to the court at the beginning of the tribunal. The allegations stem from Boyd’s affiliations with pro-trans women’s groups and her social media posts.
More detail on the panellist that stood down on Friday 14 November. https://genderblog.net/tribunal-bias-claim-panelist-steps-down/
Access to view remotely was denied, and Tribunal Tweets were unable to attend in person to post live updates. Independent journalist, Nick Wallis, is live tweeting/posting on Twitter/X (TwiX) here: https://x.com/nickwallis.
An alternative to TwiX is Nitter https://nitter.net/nickwallis
Nick’s blog about the case: https://genderblog.net/sara-morrison-v-belfast-film-festival/
Nick Wallis summaries of each session can be found on his blog here: https://genderblog.net/live-tweets/

And each session is here:

Day 1, Mon 10 Novhttps://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1987908432339566705.html

Day 2, Tues 11 Nov
Session 1 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1988188476635045985.html
Session 2 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1988214461430460725.html
Session 3 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1988247254319223065.html

Day 3, Weds 12 Nov
Session 1 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1988549918919622871.html
Session 2 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1988613143103451283.html
Session 3 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1988625740040941838.html

Day 4, Thu 13 Nov
Session 1 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1988922104742334832.html
Session 2 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1988968164730995106.html

Day 5, Fri 14 Nov
Pre-Session: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1989304222450348395.html
Session 1: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1989321104771448916.html
Recusal result: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1989368465464213928.html

There are other links in thread reader from Monday, Tuesday.

Bonjour!

Nice name 😍

Good morning ProfesseurSciFiTitPump; I' ve been expecting you!

(Just be careful which discussion boards you post on today!)

I’m so pleased I’m not working much this week.

I SHOULD be working. Productivity levels take a nosedive during ETs

CONCERN ALERT ⚠️

LB it was a concern. and there was the concern about the context in which SM had spoken

From NW

NC he's supporting you - he's a charismatic figure in the BFF and important
LB everyone on the board is important
NC and we see MTM's reply to MC: "So lovely to hear from you and feel your support. Michelle has done all the heavy lifting
here dealing directly with the individual showing support while underlining the points
you make. She was straight on to the Equality Commission and got good advice which
we are actioning. She also took the opportunity of the Docs launch to underline in all
our Comms our commitmentto inclusivity and diversity. Lisa has also been a great
support reflecting in a very insightful way. So your words of advice are most welcome-
it’s good to know we are all United in this situation.
It will take a bit of work to sort this completely but we are already on the right track."

NC "sorting this" means we're all on board with getting rid of SM
LB no it's about putting in place a process to do things properly
NC nothing much happens for a month and then [takes LB to another email]

[this is the MC email about his encounter with SM in a bar: "There was no hint of regret for, or doubt about, what
she did. As you'll know "I'm standing up for the rights of women" is the
argument used by conservatives and religious people in several countries,
and a new staple of the anti-LGBTQanti-lslamic right."]

She’s clearly transphobic but not because she’s free to express pro-woman sentiments, it’s something else, something over there, but she’s definitely terrible, but not because of who she associates with, but she’s also been talking to other witches etc etc

No terfs flyer (attached to a NW tweet)

On the manicure point that was made last thread.

Quite apart from the fetishistic element, and not to be all elf and safety gorn mad, but I can't be the only one who wouldn't want a manicure from some random I don't know, just because they happen to be sitting in an art gallery. At least with a proper salon there'd be hygiene ratings and I could look at reviews! It was a very odd proposal from MD even without any of the trans stuff.

Same here. I have a sprained thumb and elbow and am waiting for them to get better.

Everytime this is read out (There was no hint of regret for, or doubt about, what
she did. As you'll know "I'm standing up for the rights of women" is the
argument used by conservatives and religious people in several countries,
and a new staple of the anti-LGBTQanti-lslamic right."]) it makes me so sad because we all know this is MC saying: this is the position it is my position and I will brook no divergence from this position or else I will come for you too.

We know the board are not brave enough in their voluntary roles to say: we understand your position MC but it is incumbent on us all as board members of a publicly funded arts organisation to also understand that there are views on women's rights that are legitimately held and which might crossroad with more extreme positions but which crossroading on its own does not make them, or all views on women's rights, extreme.

If only they had. But it shows how much of a hold he had over them.

He was no longer chair. He could have left it to the new chair but he didn't. He agitated and, couched in nicey nicey phrases, he threatened.

NC again raising they all agreed with MC (the male board member I think?) who said he'd seen SM in a bar and she wasn't repentant (evil woman!!) :

'As you'll know "I'm standing up for the rights of women" is the argument used by conservatives and religious people in several countries, and a new staple of the anti-LGBTQ anti-lslamic right'

Misogynistic prick. If you don't think women should get their tits out for the lads, fellow mumsnetters, you are a member of the anti LGBT anti Islamic right- especially if you're a left leaning liberal who knows full well what a woman is!

I think NC is getting on to the validity of the actual accusations, rather than the shoddy process around investigating them.
Good

Congratulations on your PhD @VegemiteandhoneyontoastPhD. In Spreadable Comestibles I assume?

There is a massive lag on images appearing today, Mumsnet must be suffering after yesterdays cloudflare fiasco.

Witness is at the I can't remember stage of giving evidence.

The respondents in these cases really do have their version of 'the script' don't they!

LB's confidence is unravelling. How on earth can she claim to not remember the detail of such an, by her own testimony, worrying and concerning issue.

NC so you say to MTM you will have a chat. How did that work - 2 sep calls or a three-way chat LB can't really remember - "it felt like there were serious matters worth considering" "there was at least one phone call"
J were they both on the call
LB can't quite remember

NC is at it as well now with 'concerns'

NC can't remember how it happened?
LB no I honestly can't remember
NC the concerns were well-established - wasn't this an occasion to decide what to do nex
LB "no this was an occasion to discuss what was a concerning occurrence"
NC you're all busy people
LB yes

Oh yes the collective bff amnesia around who spoke to whom, and when decisions were taken and who made then 🙄

'As you'll know "I'm standing up for the rights of women" is the argument used by conservatives and religious people in several countries, and a new staple of the anti-LGBTQ anti-lslamic right'

is so sexist and misogynist and anti-feminist.
I have been standing up for the rights of women for all of my adult life, and in this eejit's mind, that means I am aligned somehow with 'conservatives and religious people in several countries, and a new staple of the anti-LGBTQ anti-lslamic right'

I'M STANDING UP FOR THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN. PERIOD.
on a t-shirt, size m please😄

Amongst other things, yes. I'm also involved with sauces and the vexed question of pineapple on pizza.