BBC QT - had to complain before I could go to bed

[Alternativefacts]

www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complain-online/

Had to be done ......hope they get lots of complaints!

Dear BBC
My complaint relates to the handling of the question on tonight’s Question Time programme regarding whether trans women should have access to all women shortlists. I am concerned at the lack of balance and one-sidedness of the views expressed. It was really disturbing that there was not one dissenting voice heard - either from the panel or the audience- on the underlying question around trans women and access to women only ‘ spaces’ - in this case all women shortlists.

Is the BBC aware that this- and the closely related and topical issue of gender self id are highly controversial at the moment and that many gender critical feminists have been calling for an open and reasonable debate on these issues including all women shortlist’s?
E.g see petition.parliament.uk/petitions/214118 and fairplayforwomen.com - (‘We are a group of ordinary women who are concerned that in the rush to reform transgender laws that women’s voices will not be listened to.Women get called transphobic for simply asking questions. Women are afraid to speak out and fear for their jobs and reputation if they do. ‘ )

Were there no requests to speak from a single person with a different view on the question of trans rights and women only spaces ? - either on the panel or from the audience?

What were the conditions on the basis of which Paris Lees agreed to speak - were there any conditions related to a) panel membership? b) what issues and questions would be allowed?

Why did David Dimbleby not invite Peter Hitchins to respond to direct criticisms of his previous comments by Paris Lees ?

Why was there only one woman on a panel of 5 ? ( plus 3 men, one trans woman. )

Please understand that there are real concerns about people trying to raise issues of women’s rights being silenced and threatened, no platformed and censured - and this edition of Question time sadly seemed to continue this trend.

[GretchenFranklin]

Yes. Well done. It's late and I'm still up and fucking furious with QT tonight. I will join you in complaining.

How rude and dismissive of women they were.

[CircleSquareCircleSquare]

I have also submitted a complaint.

[Mouthtrousersafrocknowandthen]

In fact all they really did was talk about how rude women are.

[CircleSquareCircleSquare]

I actually think their firmness in calling feminists “transphobic” could lead to reprisals.

[RosemaryHoight]

I made a complaint. Its not just about being caring and sharing. Or being a so called feminist. Like I've done feminism wrong.

[HomeTerf]

Just done my complaint. Thanks for the link Alternativefacts and your very well-written letter. (Mine was considerably less articulate, especially after I'd chopped bits out to fit the stupid character limit!)

[LastGirlOnTheLeft]

That is a brilliant letter!! I'm going to write mine now! I'm going to use yours as inspiration OP but won't copy I promise.

My DH watched it with me and he was utterly disgusted at the BBC and he has always defended them until now! So much for the neutral, impartial BBC!!

[MrsFogi]

I am still gutted at how this was covered on the BBC yesterday. I will lodge a complaint tomorrow. If anyone other than OP is willing to post the wording of their complaints so that I can -copy the best bits- take inspiration from them I should be grateful. that are identifying as emoticon

[TerfyTheCuntingTerf]

Oh crap, I wish I'd kept mine. Mine was along similar lines to AlternativeFacts, and I also referenced the woman attacked on a picket line recently in relation to the silencing of dissenting voices. Said that there were references made to feminists and 'bullying', whilst giving the feminists no right to reply, and all of this going on while women are being doxxed and harassed with threats of rape and violence, so who's really being bullied here?

Also mentioned that the mention of trans rights having no effect on women's rights was nonsense, with reference to refuges and women with PTSD... I said the decision to have an under 30 audience seemed like a deliberate attempt to silence gender critical voices, and that if Paris Lees was unwilling to debate with GC people then perhaps they weren't the best choice for a program like Question Time. And I also questioned why we never hear from detransitioners or GC trans people like Miranda Yardley, Kristina Harrison or Debbie Hayton.

[HomeTerf]

MrsFogi I'll PM you mine. I wish I'd done it more in bullet point format. I think it was a bit unwieldy and difficult to understand, but you might be able to extract something more concise from it.

[HomeTerf]

PMed @MrsFogi

[confuseddotdot]

Oh my I have just watched QT....

What an appalling panel, what that the best they could do? Wasn't there supposed to be a youth focus?

Before you got to the Trans at the total expense of women issues it was obvious they were not competent.

Had not one of them done any research into the Cambridge Analytical story? Really the biggest story of the year and they couldn't articulate any meaningful insight regarding social media nor add to the conversation

It was so obvious they did not understand social media so straight off the bat I thought well if they really don't understand social media then they are not going to be able to have any critical discussion as to shortlists.

Look at the way they allowed a male audience member to do a "poor me" I can't run for Labour without challenge.

How was Paris Lee allowed to pedal her hard luck story about these awful feminists and not be challenged about the trans activists and abuse.

How did she manage to pedal the bullshit about trans and suicide? Again, unchallenged.

Appalling.

[Speedy85]

I haven’t watched it yet but will try to make time to do so and then complain if appropriate (which I’m guessing it will be, but don’t want to judge until I’ve seen it).

For anyone wanting to complain you might want to consider referring to the BBC Impartiality guidance if you feel the views of feminists have been misrepresented, especially the following:

4.4.30
Additionally, when personal view programmes and websites (for example, blogs) cover 'controversial subjects', especially those concerning matters of public policy or political or industrial controversy, we should:
- retain a respect for factual accuracy
- fairly represent opposing viewpoints when included
- provide an opportunity to respond when appropriate, for example in a pre-arranged discussion programme
- ensure that a sufficiently broad range of views and perspectives is included in output of a similar type and weight and in an appropriate timeframe.

www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/impartiality/personal-view-content

[DaisyGiveMeYourAnswerDoo]

I've never commented on the trans threads before, but I've read enough of them that I was horrified listening to QT last night whilst I went to sleep.

I was waiting for somebody to pipe up and say - but is it right that any man can self ID as a woman on a whim with no medical input and go and work in a women's refuge?

Was shocked at the one-sidedness, and nobody saying why this wasn't an ok idea.

And I'm massively left wing, live and let live, and one of my best friends is a fully transitioned FTM. Who agrees with how wrong this is. And I'm 25 - so not all the young people think this is ok.

Peak transed.

[TerfyTheCuntingTerf]

Thanks Speedy. IMO the program violated every single one of those points.

[DamnDeDoubtanceIsSpartacus]

What a shocking panel.

I've complained too, suggested if they don't like women speaking they could ask one of the many transsexuals who stand up for women and girls.

[borntobequiet]

Somewhere is another thread suggesting to contact Any Answers, which I have done. If they get lots of tweets/texts/emails they assign airtime in proportion. They will prob gets lots from TAs so we need to balance.

[borntobequiet]

Somewhere? On this board of course! Not properly awake yet...

[Alternativefacts]

Great to hear about lots of others complaining, feel free to recycle text from mine ‘lastgirl’, i have never complained to the BBC before, it is reading posts on here that inspired me to start pushing back. Thanks for links to impartiality guidance Speedy v useful. let’s hope we don’t need it after listening toAnyqusetions later!

[TerfsUp]

I've just complained.

[totalnamechanger]

I complained on the basis of bias- that they was no counter-argument to the actual question. Instead there was a cunning switch to should AWS exist at all- that was NOT the question up for debate.

A lot of criticism of 'feminists' but no one representing feminists or explaining their view on this matter (SC might call herself a feminist but very aligned to Jeremy Corbyn in this case and thus biased and not able to offer counter-view)

[HomeTerf]

That's an interesting point total. I'm sure SC would describe herself as a feminist in any other situation, but for the purposes of that discussion 'feminist' was used as a dirty word IIRC. (Might have to rewatch and check that out, if I can bear it.)

[borntobequiet]

Oops muddled up Any Questions and Question Time. Ignore me. Or listen to AQ anyway.

[OldCrone]

HomeTerf
I think at one point, SC did say she was a feminist, but according to PL, we are "awful people purporting to be feminists".