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Sara Morrison vs. transgender people

Sara Morrison is an anti-transgender activist based in Ireland. Morrison is a member of anti-trans hate group Genspect and head of Genspect Ireland.

note: for the US journalist who covers trans topics, see Sara Morrison.

Background

Sara Morrison attended Ulster University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2007 and a master’s degree in 2014. While in school, Morrison was outreach officer for Black Box Belfast from 2007 to 2014, then held the same role at Northern Ireland Screen from 2017 to 2018. From 2018 to 2019, Morrison was Rape Crisis NI Service Coordinator at Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland. Morrison was communications and digital content officer for Green Party NI from 2019 to 2023.

Anti-trans activism

In 2023, Morrison worked as Inclusion/Audience Development Co-ordinator at the Belfast Film Festival.

Morrison spoke at an anti-trans Let Women Speak event in Belfast on April 16, 2023. The event was organized by anti-trans extremist Kellie-Jay Keen. Morrison started by attacking trans-supportive women’s organizations, quoting Eric Hoffer: “Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.” Morrison then compared trans-supportive protesters of the Let Women Speak event to anti-abortion activists, saying in part:

“It was a deliberate campaign of harassment and intimidation against women. This resulted in women being shamed and silenced, and this is currently being repeated by [… gestures to pro-trans protesters] those right over there.

[…] I started this new iteration of Rape Crisis NI. This is not the Rape Crisis I wanted. We need to keep men out of women’s spaces. They have morphed into a deliberate campaign of bullying and intimidation and silencing and harassment and bullying the very women they should be protecting and exalting. These organizations do not represent me.”

After individuals and organizations complained about Morrison’s involvement, Belfast Film Festival launched an investigation, and Morrison eventually resigned.

Morrison raised over ÂŁ34,000 via CrowdJustice for litigation against the Belfast Film Festival. Anti-trans activists including J.K. Rowling donated. Morrison falsely claimed in the campaign, “I am a single mother and have been suspended from my workplace for holding gender-critical beliefs.” On July 10, 2024, Morrison’s solicitor Simon Chambers issued a “correction and clarification,” on the crowdfunding campaign page, stating “That is not quite accurate. Sara faced calls for her suspension and removal from involvement in future activities by her employer.”

Morrison was named leader of Genspect Ireland at its founding in March 2025. In November 2025, Morrison’s trial was held.

References

Telford, Lyndsey (November 21, 2025). Tribunal hears employee ‘jumped’ after rally appearance. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2p87qwnwlo

Gray, Iain (November 21, 2025). Gender critical case: A woman’s bosses saw her as transphobic so ‘provoked complaints’ to oust her from her job, argues a lawyer as fortnight-long tribunal ends. Belfast News Letter https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/inquests/gender-critical-case-woman-seen-as-transphobic-so-bosses-provoked-complaints-to-oust-her-from-job-says-lawyer-as-tribunal-ends-5413047

Gray, Iain (November 19, 2025). Trans beliefs case: Woman’s attendance at gender-critical rally like sharing platform with ‘dissident republicans advocating for armed struggle’, says Belfast Film Festival founder in discrimination tribunal. Belfast News Letter https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/trans-beliefs-case-womans-attendance-at-gender-critical-rally-like-sharing-platform-with-dissident-republicans-advocating-for-armed-struggle-says-belfast-film-festival-founder-in-discrimination-tribunal-5409674

Allen, Bernie (November 18, 2025). Tribunal hears rally appearance ’caused throwback that was not positive.’ BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqjw5wd1k58o

Gray, Iain (November 18, 2025). Gender critical case: Belfast Film Festival chiefs deny plot to oust woman from job over political views, adding staff ‘tortured by all sorts of headcases’ during dispute. Belfast News Letter https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/courts/gender-critical-case-belfast-film-festival-chiefs-deny-plot-to-oust-woman-from-job-over-political-views-adding-staff-tortured-by-all-sorts-of-headcases-during-dispute-5407913

Faragher, Jo (November 17, 2025). Judge in Belfast Film Festival tribunal accused of bias. Personnel Today https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/judge-in-belfast-film-festival-tribunal-accused-of-bias/

Allen, Bernie (November 18, 2025). Judge rejects application over employment tribunal panellist. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwypryngrylo

Gray, Iain (November 17, 2025). Judge rejects accusations of pro-trans bias in job tribunal for second time. Belfast News Letter https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/courts/judge-rejects-accusations-of-pro-trans-bias-in-job-tribunal-for-second-time-5406064

Allen, Bernie (November 14, 2025). Judge rejects claims of alleged bias at employment tribunal. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0gj42l4zeo

Allen, Bernie (November 13, 2025). Film festival staff need to stay ‘squeaky clean’, tribunal told. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkl5rzd7ggo

Telford, Lyndsey (November 12, 2025). Tribunal told woman’s comments not seen as transphobic. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx47xe977wo

Telford, Lyndsey (November 11, 2025). Woman backed by JK Rowling subjected to ‘witch hunt’ – tribunal. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg10dp8lyzo

Telford, Lyndsey (November 10, 2025). Woman backed by JK Rowling ‘not opposed to trans rights’ – tribunal. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxrpxwlkx7o

Hurley, Lee (January 12, 2025). GC crowdfunder offers refunds after misleading about case. Trans Writes https://transwrites.world/gc-crowdfunder-offers-refunds-after-misleading-about-case/

Anti-trans coverage

Fahmy, Denise (November 17, 2025). Dispatches from the frontlines of the culture wars. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/dispatches-from-the-frontlines-of-the-culture-wars/

Wallis, Nick (November 7, 2025). Gender-critical film worker sues former employer over trans rights speech. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/trans-child-women-only-spaces-skdtl3bcx

Attenborough, Frederick (June 8, 2024). JK Rowling backs NI woman’s bid to sue employer over gender critical belief discrimination. Free Speech Union https://freespeechunion.org/jk-rowling-backs-ni-womans-bid-to-sue-employer-over-gender-critical-belief-discrimination/?v=7885444af42e

Radnedge, Aidan (August 5, 2024). JK Rowling bankrolls gender critical woman’s employment tribunal battle against bosses after she claims she was ‘forced out of work because of stress.’ Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13709447/JK-Rowling-bankrolls-gender-critical-womans-employment-tribunal-battle-against-bosses-claims-forced-work-stress.html

Campbell, Brett (June 7, 2024). JK Rowling backs NI woman’s bid to sue employer after being ‘persecuted’ for addressing Let Women Speak rally. Belfast Telegraph https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/jk-rowling-backs-ni-womans-bid-to-sue-employer-after-being-persecuted-for-addressing-let-women-speak-rally/a1050779147.html

Fahmy, Denise (June 1, 2024). The art world must escape gender theory. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/the-art-world-must-escape-gender-theory/

Burton, Lucy (August 5, 2024). JK Rowling bankrolls legal fight against workplace gender police, The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/08/05/jk-rowling-bankrolls-legal-fight-workplace-gender-police/

Selected anti-trans writing by Morrison

Morrison, Sara (October 9, 2025). Submission by Genspect to Irish Joint Committee on Children and Equality re: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024. https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/34/joint_committee_on_children_and_equality/submissions/2025/2025-10-09_submission-genspect_en.pdf

Morrison, Sara (September 15, 2025). Legitimate Targets: How the “N-word”, the “F-word”, the “B-word”, and the “T-word” justify political violence. Inspecting Gender https://genspect.substack.com/p/inventing-legitimate-targets

Morrison, Sara (August 25, 2025). Arlington’s Jim Crow Moment: The travesty of equating so-called “trans inclusion” with civil rights. Inspecting Gender https://genspect.substack.com/p/arlingtons-jim-crow-moment

O’Malley, Stella; Miller, Amanda; Morrison, Sara (August 16, 2025). When Your Child Says “I’m Trans”: New Parent Starter Pack. Inspecting Gender https://genspect.substack.com/p/when-your-child-says-im-trans-the

Morrison, Sara (June 17, 2025). Ireland’s Inclusion Agenda is Progressive Mirage. Inspecting Gender https://genspect.substack.com/p/irelands-inclusion-agenda-is-progressive

Holmes, Sarah; Morrison, Sara (April 29, 2025). Bathbombs and Body Politics: How Corporate Activism Markets Medical Transition to Kids. Genspect https://genspect.org/bathbombs-and-body-politics-how-corporate-activism-markets-medical-transition-to-kids/

Morrison, Sara (April 23, 2025). Opinion: ​The Supreme Court ruling on definition of a woman shows that linguistic truth matters. Belfast News Letter https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/opinion-the-supreme-court-ruling-on-definition-of-a-woman-shows-that-linguistic-truth-matters-5094798

Morrison, Sara (April 15, 2025). Words of War, Words of Peace. Genspect https://genspect.org/words-of-war-words-of-peace/

Morrison, Sara (March 17, 2025). When the Witch They’re Hunting is You! Genspect https://genspect.org/when-the-witch-theyre-hunting-is-you/

Media

Kellie-Jay Keen with Sara Morrison and other speakers (April 16, 2023). Let Women Speak – Belfast #LetWomenSpeakBelfast #LetWomenSpeak. https://www.youtube.com/live/-LF5Nn-rNfY?si=4Ft7bb8i7g1iuldl&t=3860

Resources

CrowdJustice (crowdjustice.com)

Substack (substack.com)

Instagram (nstagram.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Genspect (genspect.org)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)