Woman fired spat on for being STRAIGHT

Did a quick scan and couldn't find this posted yet.

A woman in Australia has been fired from her role as festival manager of the Adelaide Feast Festival - one of the largest LGBTI festivals.

Not only was she fired but over several months she was sent threatening messages saying "I know where your kids go to school". She was also spat on while working her role after her coworkers found out that she was straight.

Ms Liebeknecht said a group of people were unhappy when she was chosen for the position and they had since been attacking her on social media and threatening her and her family. 'I've been spat on, I've had people scare me, I've had people contact me at work anonymously, saying 'I know where your children go to school',' she said. 'There was also a gentleman who continues to this day to slander me for my sexuality. It just gets vicious.'

woman fired for being straight


This situation just strikes me as crazy - surely the LGBTI community knows what it is like to be targeted for your sexuality and yet they think it's okay to vilify this woman based on her gender

I don't suppose there's any chance her firing had to do with something other than simply being "straight." Hard to tell from that article.

thats all you got on this one phage? the article must be wrong because it conflicts with your world view?

a reply to: snarfbot

Huh? Did I say it must be wrong?
Or do you have something against getting both sides of a story?

a reply to: Kalixi

I'm always dubious when a British tabloid (I'm a brit) links to an article that is behind a pay wall. It's becoming a bigger tactic for some of the newspapers here.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: snarfbot

Huh? Did I say it must be wrong?
Or do you have something against getting both sides of a story?

Considering it's the Daily Fail I think you are well within your rights to be apprehensive.
They're known peddlers of bullsh*t.

a reply to: Phage

the other side of the story was you literally supposing that "maybe she got fired for something else" in contradiction to the article?

sounds like baseless speculation to me.

a reply to: Kalixi

I suppose she didn't really get "fired", but suspended with full pay. It kind of makes sense to have an LGBTQ person in this role.

a reply to: Phage

It mentions at least twice that she was voted out by the board due to unprofessional conduct, and the claim that she was fired for being straight is bracketed in quotes...but I'm sure it was really just a bunch of mean, nasty, intolerant LGBT people discriminating against her because she's heterosexual. They're just making up the part about her behaving in an unprofessional manner because everybody knows they secretly hate straight people.

a reply to: snarfbot

Yet you can't see the article from "The Australian" to prove either way, unless you pay to read it.

That means you're taking a British tabloid at face value.

a reply to: Kalixi

There's something seriously mentally wrong with people right now, this story proves that very valid point.

People are going Postal ... insanity room 101.

originally posted by: snarfbot
a reply to: Phage

the other side of the story was you literally supposing that "maybe she got fired for something else" in contradiction to the article?

sounds like baseless speculation to me.

Read the article again, then. Particularly the part where it gives the official reason for her being voted out. There's no speculation; it's right there in the OP source, plain as day...they say she wasn't doing her job, she says they hated on her because: discrimination.

After a google search of "Cassandra Liebeknecht fired", all I can find is she is reportedly being investigated for alleged misconduct. No mention of it having anything to do with her being straight (or otherwise).

i dont understand the objection, thats what the article says so unless there is evidence that contradicts it why is it impossible to accept that even straight people can be discriminated against?

So if i were bi/trans/tri/zedexualized/triple tri i'd be more special then?

crap...

a reply to: awareness10

So if i were bi/trans/tri/zedexualized/triple tri i'd be more special then?

More special than you already are?
No way dude.

a reply to: Phage

Is that sarcasm i sense or .. I'll drink to that ... MORE RUM!

a reply to: awareness10
Yes. Sarcasm aimed directly at you. How astute.

And I can't stand rum.

a reply to: Phage

Thankyou Phage i think i'll drink to that. Direct and straight forward.

Bravo 'bows' You are Awesome!


'If everybody likes you, you're doing it wrong'.

I live in South Australia, where this story is breaking, so I can shed some light on it.

Cassandra Liebeknecht has not been fired for being straight. She has been suspended on full pay due to allegations of financial mismanagement.

FEAST Festival directors have insisted the show will go on next month in Adelaide despite suspending general manager Cassandra Liebeknecht, who is reportedly being investigated for alleged misconduct.

While confirming they had engaged a legal team, Feast directors would not be drawn on claims that Liebeknecht’s suspension was due to alleged mismanagement of finances.

“The Feast Board of Management is not in a position to comment about any internal investigations that may be currently underway,” the LGBTIQ arts festival’s directors said in a statement.

Liebeknecht did not respond when contacted by The Advertiser yesterday.

...Liebeknecht’s suspension on full pay followed an emergency board meeting last Friday after turmoil around Feast’s new city “queer cultural hub” at Raj House in Hyde Street.

Members of the broader arts community had hit out at the festival on social media saying Feast had reneged on a deal to work with the building’s previous tenants Tuxedo Cat.

The appointment of a straight general manager to a LGBTIQ arts festival was always going to be controversial, and Australia's LGBTIQ community does have a tiny handful of heterophobic voices. So I would not be surprised if Liebeknecht had copped a bit of abuse on that basis.

However, none of this has anything to do with her suspension, which is perfectly reasonable. Liebeknecht's attempt to spin this entire issue as an attack on her sexuality is pathetic and disgusting.