My name is Sara Morrison and my employer, Belfast Film Festival, has de facto suspended me from work because I spoke at a ‘Let Women Speak’ event in Belfast on April 16th 2023.

I am crowdfunding to pay for my legal representation.  I have submitted a claim for discrimination to the employment tribunal. I don’t believe that anybody should be discriminated against for having gender critical views, and talking about them, and my employer should not have suspended me for doing so.

I attended ‘Let Women Speak’ as a private citizen. I was there with friends, and very clearly not there in a work capacity. I plucked up the courage to take the microphone, and I spoke about the harassment and intimidation that women experience when they express views similar to mine, that women’s rights are threatened by people claiming they can change sex.

This event was focussed on protecting privacy, safety and dignity for women and children and was attended by a large and peaceful crowd.

Within an hour of my speech, the online harassment began. A photograph of me and my full name was circulated on Twitter. The online harassment continued over the weekend, and eventually the online bullies identified my workplace. My employer, other staff, stakeholders and previous employees were also targeted online.

I discussed what was happening with my employer and I informed the Police who visited the online bullies. I was advised by the police to put CCTV security in my home. It has been a frightening and stressful experience.

Everything was quiet for a few months - until July. A local trans focused organisation, whom I have worked with regularly and successfully in the past, contacted my employer to say that they look exception to having any dealings with me. The Let Women Speak event was specifically referenced in their communication. Soon after that, various other LGBT+ organisations then followed suit, and it became clear that a campaign was being orchestrated against me. Emails, texts and tweets implied I was ‘an unsafe person to be around’ and mistakenly aligned my views with an alleged ‘anti-gay fascist’.

These untrue accusations are hurtful. I have never, in all my years of working in the arts been anything other than fully inclusive.

The hate campaign against me became frenzied and escalated across social media. My employer succumbed to the escalating threats they received and made a public statement to inform my online bullies that I would be investigated and that they passionately supported the values of my bullies and would celebrate and defend them.

The stress and anxiety this has caused me has been overwhelming and exhausting. It’s not an exaggeration to say that at times I have been unable to carry out daily tasks.

I have been off work since July with work related stress. Rather than support me when I was experiencing external bullying, my employer initiated an investigation into me, the terms of which are still very unclear to me.  My employer has denied my access to emails, shared work drive, and requested return of my office keys etc and I still don’t know when this so-called investigation will end.

My employer BFF has never attempted to explain to me why they decided to instigate an investigation three months after I spoke at the event. No support was offered to me following the online harassment and abuse.

My employer even publicly sided with the online bullies.

My case is therefore that my employer is discriminating against me due to my support of women’s rights, and the holding of gender critical beliefs.I have spent my life supporting women’s rights. I worked for Women’s Aid to re-establish a much-needed rape crisis service for Northern Ireland and deeply understand that consent is fundamental right for women.

Why is this important

• freedom of expression/speech in the arts
• standing up against the silencing of legally held beliefs and the chilling effect of oppression.
• In Northern Ireland it’s particularly important that publicly funded arts organisations act fairly and are impartial.
• I am a single mother. They came after me as an easy target to silence and bully.

Currently, I don’t know if I have a job or not. I have had to rely on financial support from family and friends to keep a roof over my head.

I am crowdfunding to pay for legal representation to take this case to an employment tribunal, to show that no one should be discriminated against for having gender critical views and talking about them. My solicitor has recommended that I raise £15,000.  All funds are held by CrowdJustice alone and when I have met my target are sent to my solicitor.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my case.

Please donate if you can to support this very important legal challenge, and please share with others who may wish to support me.