Open Letter to the British Film Institute

There are women directors you could have chosen

There is a time and place for all oppressed classes; the BFI has chosen a trans identified male to deliver a keynote whilst being neither a woman nor a film maker. This is trend pandering at its worst.

We have to stop the most misogynistic males in society from the ongoing forced accommodation of these males onto females. These males are men’s rights activists they are doing everything they can to prevent the emancipation of females from the patriarchal oppression of females. It’s outrageous and extremely insulting that a unqualified male is to speak to females filmmakers when he is not even a filmmaker!

& that includes Cinematography dept. in a BIG way.

I would like to add my support to the women who have protested this decision far more eloquently than I ever could.

BFI, male born individuals appropriating womanhood is deeply offensive to many women. You are clearly trying to improve the film industry for women, but you need to reflect on the misogyny you are still harbouring if this is the way you choose to ‘help’ women.

Wake up BFI

It's unreal. You've pushed aside women who have faced sexism and often racial discrimination for a male and worst, they aren't even qualified to talk only having appeared in a documentary. So much for inclusion when the very people you claim to support are pushed aside and even worse by a person who has made sexist comments in the past and who appears not to believe in sex-based oppression but thinks women should centre men in all they do including their own movement.

Well, here's one woman who DOES think it's great that Munroe Bergdorf is speaking at the BFI event. It's about time you bullies stopped your campaign of harassing trans women. Shame on you.

This is unbelievable! The BFI are denying a woman in the industry this opportunity and have given it to a biological male. Create a separate event for trans folk if they want one, but please don’t take this away from a woman!

This is so wrong. Actual women being stepped over again by men. Really sad.

Elect someone appropriate and preferably not a racist.

Soo insensitive! Celebrating 100 years of women voting rights, in the wave of #metoo campaigning and women spaces are stolen by male bodied people that want to pass as one.

Disgraceful.

Trans-women are men. This is basic biology. It is deplorable BFI are joining in with the craze for science denialism. I expect you'll be supporting climate change denialists next. Shameful.

The BFI should not be applauded for organising this. Total sexism at play, yet again!!!

BFI, you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves for this staggering lack of judgement. Or was it your intention for women to boycott this event so you could prove we aren't as interested in film as men?

Males cannot speak for women, and trans-women are men.

Clumsy headline grabbing appointment. Just get a very experienced successful woman who can be looked to and listened to with respect. I have no issue with transgender identifying people but theirs is a far less everyday female experience. And Bergdorf conforms to a very patriarchal image of the perfect woman so not that progressive.

I know let’s be really out there and have an event about women filmmakers and then have a keynote speaker who hasn’t even made any films and has limited experience of being a woman - yeah let’s really f**k it all up with taxpayers money and show we haven’t got a clue about how to support women filmmakers