Six months ago I was entirely sympathetic to the difficulties faced by trans people in their daily lives. Of course they should have the same rights as the rest of us. No more and no less. I only sought then to question how this might be managed so that trans people’s rights were not improved at the expense of women’s hard-won rights and protections. Now, after six months of being reviled and abused for the apparently heinous offence of caring about women and after six months of witnessing a bunch of entitled males appropriate women’s estate and seek to erase women’s identity, I am pretty close to not caring anymore. Enough of all this ‘transphobia’ nonsense. I have a right to believe in my biology. I will never subscribe to the notion that
‘some women have penises’ any more than I will to the idea that ‘2+2=5’.
J
Julia Marshall
8 years ago
How about asking a woman with years of experience & knowledge to be your keynote speaker.
Your choice of Bergdorf is an insult both to women in the film industry & society
L
lesley parker
8 years ago
This is outrageous. Please do the right thing and invite a WOMAN from the vast array of female talent to speak at this event.
A
Anonymous
8 years ago
This is an insult to everyone with XX chromosomes.
B
Barbara Hughes
8 years ago
In this important year for women, you get a male to give a keynote speech? Were you not able to find a female woman? Not only is Betgdorf male, he is also insulting towards lesbians and criticises women for talking about our reproductive rights - hard fought for rights.
Your choice of speaker in this is insulting to women. I am deeply disappointed in you
A
Anonymous
8 years ago
Why? Just why?
C
Celia Wangler
8 years ago
Women face so many barriers still in the world, as you will all too aware film making is no different, too few women in positions where they can make a difference and where they are they are paid less than men. so why do you think it appropriate to use someone who was born and raised a man, who has been openly hostile to women who fight for women's rights? Berdorf is no role model for women.
H
Hazel Williams
8 years ago
A woman should be doing this, not a man who feels like a woman
M
Maeve Greenwell
8 years ago
I'm very unhappy about this undermining of women and female artists with special reference to women of colour and disadvantaged women of colour.
A
Anonymous
8 years ago
Please leave something for women.
B
Bella Bailey
8 years ago
Why is this same talentless, whining, self obsessed individual male being promoted on a daily basis as the face of modern femalehood? HE IS A MAN.
T
T Yo
8 years ago
munroe is a biological male. One can never change his sex. A woman is a biological female. A trans woman is a biological male. There is the big difference. BFI´s summit was a Woman´s, not a Trans woman´s.
A
Artemis
8 years ago
Yet another punch in the guts for women. Bergdorf is a man.
R
Rob
8 years ago
Silly billies
H
Helen Saxby
8 years ago
This is not 'inclusive'. This is excluding women from something designed for women, at a time when we urgently need more women's voices in the film industry
S
Sophie Allen
8 years ago
Bergdorf has made only one film and is not a career film-maker. Bergdorf has also made disparaging public remarks about lesbians and tried to ban natal women from talking about concerns such as reproduction in a feminist context. Given that these issues are primary reasons for women to be discriminated against in the film industry and elsewhere, this person should not have been chosen to represent women or to talk about feminism. Please choose another keynote.
A
Abigail Smith
8 years ago
This is an insult to women. ‘Woman’ is a sex class defined by biology. Women experience discrimination because of this biology. You are exemplifying and perpetuating this discrimination by choosing a male to speak in place of a female.
E
Emma Jones
8 years ago
A woman film-maker please. Be positive about women and film in the 21st Century. We are making brave new strides in the #metoo era. Support us!
J
Jeni England
8 years ago
Signed in solidarity with the women who still face discrimination in the film industry. A woman should be the keynote speaker not a man and Bergdorf is a man not a woman.
K
Katherine Poole
8 years ago
Women in film need celebrating. You have invited someone whose vision of feminity is wholy based on sexist stereotype, who has told women to be silent on some of the biggest threats to our equality, and who isn't a film maker. This was a terrible call.
Six months ago I was entirely sympathetic to the difficulties faced by trans people in their daily lives. Of course they should have the same rights as the rest of us. No more and no less. I only sought then to question how this might be managed so that trans people’s rights were not improved at the expense of women’s hard-won rights and protections. Now, after six months of being reviled and abused for the apparently heinous offence of caring about women and after six months of witnessing a bunch of entitled males appropriate women’s estate and seek to erase women’s identity, I am pretty close to not caring anymore. Enough of all this ‘transphobia’ nonsense. I have a right to believe in my biology. I will never subscribe to the notion that ‘some women have penises’ any more than I will to the idea that ‘2+2=5’.
How about asking a woman with years of experience & knowledge to be your keynote speaker. Your choice of Bergdorf is an insult both to women in the film industry & society
This is outrageous. Please do the right thing and invite a WOMAN from the vast array of female talent to speak at this event.
This is an insult to everyone with XX chromosomes.
In this important year for women, you get a male to give a keynote speech? Were you not able to find a female woman? Not only is Betgdorf male, he is also insulting towards lesbians and criticises women for talking about our reproductive rights - hard fought for rights. Your choice of speaker in this is insulting to women. I am deeply disappointed in you
Why? Just why?
Women face so many barriers still in the world, as you will all too aware film making is no different, too few women in positions where they can make a difference and where they are they are paid less than men. so why do you think it appropriate to use someone who was born and raised a man, who has been openly hostile to women who fight for women's rights? Berdorf is no role model for women.
A woman should be doing this, not a man who feels like a woman
I'm very unhappy about this undermining of women and female artists with special reference to women of colour and disadvantaged women of colour.
Please leave something for women.
Why is this same talentless, whining, self obsessed individual male being promoted on a daily basis as the face of modern femalehood? HE IS A MAN.
munroe is a biological male. One can never change his sex. A woman is a biological female. A trans woman is a biological male. There is the big difference. BFI´s summit was a Woman´s, not a Trans woman´s.
Yet another punch in the guts for women. Bergdorf is a man.
Silly billies
This is not 'inclusive'. This is excluding women from something designed for women, at a time when we urgently need more women's voices in the film industry
Bergdorf has made only one film and is not a career film-maker. Bergdorf has also made disparaging public remarks about lesbians and tried to ban natal women from talking about concerns such as reproduction in a feminist context. Given that these issues are primary reasons for women to be discriminated against in the film industry and elsewhere, this person should not have been chosen to represent women or to talk about feminism. Please choose another keynote.
This is an insult to women. ‘Woman’ is a sex class defined by biology. Women experience discrimination because of this biology. You are exemplifying and perpetuating this discrimination by choosing a male to speak in place of a female.
A woman film-maker please. Be positive about women and film in the 21st Century. We are making brave new strides in the #metoo era. Support us!
Signed in solidarity with the women who still face discrimination in the film industry. A woman should be the keynote speaker not a man and Bergdorf is a man not a woman.
Women in film need celebrating. You have invited someone whose vision of feminity is wholy based on sexist stereotype, who has told women to be silent on some of the biggest threats to our equality, and who isn't a film maker. This was a terrible call.