BFI apologises after woman with Asperger’s kicked out of cinema

Tamsin Parker was verbally abused by some
audience members for laughing during film screening

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In what onlookers described as a “disgusting” sign of “naked
intolerance”, Tamsin Parker was forced to leave a screening of 1966
spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the
Ugly, The Guardian reports. She was there
celebrating her 25th birthday with two friends when she was marched
out by staff, on Sunday. 

Parker, an artist and animator, told the
London Evening Standard that she had been
“laughing and having a good time” with her friends, who are also on
the autistic spectrum, when she became aware that the noise was
annoying some audience members. “l didn’t understand what I
was doing wrong,” she added.

According to the newspaper, when Parker tried to explain
that she is autistic, a member of the audience shouted “you’re
retarded”, while another told her to “shut up, b****”.

She was then asked to leave after a complaint was lodged about
her.

The BBC reports that despite the abuse Parker faced,
many cinemagoers walked out in protest at the way she was
treated.

 But other members of the audience applauded as she was
removed, her mother, Lydia Parker, told The Guardian.

“She was in floods of tears. She was really scared. She was
completely humiliated and it ruined her birthday,” she
said. “It would be nice to arrange a screening for Tamsin and
her friends. The manager did not seem very apologetic at the
time.”

The BFI apologised yesterday, saying that the organisation had
“got it wrong” in a “challenging and complex situation”.

“We are taking this situation extremely seriously and this
morning we have been investigating further,” said a BFI statement.
“We can and must do better in accommodating all the needs of our
customers and we will be addressing what additional provisions and
staff training we can put in place.”