Are Transwomen male or female? Ask the BBC

I wonder if they'll do Richard Dawkins, next. And Robert Winston.

https://twitter.com/simonjedge/status/1763455402044170722

BREAKING: A BBC panel has reprimanded Sir David Attenborough for breaking impartiality rules and referring to the earth as spherical, after a complaint from the Flat Earth Society

😏

The problem with the Maya judgement is that it protects gender critical views as a ‘philosophical belief’. BBC news reporters shouldn’t be sharing their philosophical beliefs at work.

But, ESPECIALLY in a highly controversial area, they do need to be clear about facts.

That humans are sexually dimorphic, and human sex is immutable, isn’t a ‘philosophical belief’ it’s just fact. We need some sort of legal protection for stating facts, however much some people are distressed by the truth.

If a publicly funded broadcasting service can’t explain the facts of a news story to the public, what the fuck is the point of it?

SlumberDearMaid · Yesterday 20:56

Being GC is still extremely niche. And it’s dangerous to put your head above the parapet. When you go onto SM, everyone’s TWAW and #bekind….

I think you're right to an extent, but many people are probably technically GC, without really thinking about it; many people will roll their eyes, or comment "FFS" on news articles. Mumsnet is social media, as is Twitter and you can now comment in a GC fashion, with little fear of being deleted, or banned.

But, bearing in mind some of the recently settled and indeed, ongoing cases, where women have been harassed and bullied, I well understand the fear of putting one's head above the parapet. You are very likely to win a lawsuit, but at what personal cost?

Whatthechicken · Yesterday 19:36

He was stating a fact, how can a fact be wrong? I am terrified for my daughter.

That's exactly what got me to take note of what's happening, I worry about my daughter. She coming up to 11 and is full on TWAW, with close "trans girl" friend. She thinks that misgendering is worse than the racism she's experienced.

Some people believe the earth is flat. This is a viewpoint, it isnt true.

Some people believe that transwomen are women. This is a viewpoint, it isnt true.

If flat earthers complained to the BBC every time reference is made to our planets properties as a sphere or a globe would the BBC take that complaint seriously?

The fuck they would.

I always thought that in interviews, Justin appeared to cut women off more than men, so I find him frustrating to listen to. But now he’s gone up in my estimation!

Already deleted the BBC app…

Can someone tell me what the John Lewis thing was?

Justin has integrity, unlike his colleague JV over on R2. He stated a fact - that the murderer being discussed is male, not female - so I don’t understand the basis of looking into a nutty complaint about him. Does the BBC not allow their (flagship) radio news programme to be factually correct?

Just a note of warning - If you do make a complaint to the BBC remember to check your junk email as they require you to verify the link they send within 60 minutes. I hadn’t realised they did this and so now have to resubmit my complaint.

Would letters to the chair make a difference, rather than complaints? Also to the Culture & Media Secretary?

Thinking along the lines of out of line with charter, possibly illegal cf Maya, and therefore potentially costly?

And what about a licence fee strike? Would love to have a prosecution go forward where the defendant says they identify as someone who does not own a TV.

Absolutely.

The Beeb has lost the plot.

I have yet to get a response to my complaint about their Scarlett Blake reporting, but when I do, this may be useful in my response.

So now we demand consistency from them.

Here is the finding that is the basis of the Press Gazette report
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/ecu/today-radio-4-22-august-2023

It states: "In relation to impartiality, however, the ECU considered it could only be understood by listeners as meaning that trans women remain male, without qualification as to gender or biological sex, and that, even if unintentional, it gave the impression of endorsing one viewpoint in a highly controversial area. It therefore upheld this aspect of the complaint."

So this raises a big question for the BBC. In many of those reports on the recent Scarlet Blake it could only be understood by listeners that that person was female without qualification. This therefore endorses the OTHER viewpoint in a highly controversial area.

Or indeed so would any story about a transgender woman where there is no explicit reference to their biological sex.

So that means I assume that the BBC will now uphold all of those complaints where it misled readers/viewers into thinking Scarlet Blake was female

Right? Right BBC?

This is a highly significant findings which cuts both ways surely thanks to your recognition of the need to balance viewpoints for impartiality in a highly controversial area.

Thanks for the precedent, we will now cite this finding in any future complaint to the BBC where stories endorse just one viewpoint in a highly controversial area.

I actually think they have shot themselves in the foot with this.

Oh yes and if you read the fortnightly complaints bulletin for last week you will see the trans breast milk story had the most complaints

https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaint-service-reports

You can add positive feedback on here https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/comments-feedback/#/Your%20comment If we all do it, it might strike home.

I now say ‘transgender male’, so as to remove ‘woman’ entirely, and to ensure ‘male’ is pointedly used.

I am old enough to remember when the terminology was "male transsexual" and "female transexual", which I think is even better TBH as it makes the sex of the person primary and 100% clear.

I know that they would not tolerate "male transgender", although "transgender" as a noun seems to be in common currency in the USA, eg. when you hear Senators in official hearings referring to "transgenders", in the same way that we still talk about "transsexuals".

Is this the same BBC that has an actual dedicated department and prominent correspondent that are tasked with exposing disinformation, misinformation and fake news?

Apparently, north is not south, up is not down, left is not right, black is not white... UNLESS they happen to be a particular kind of north, up, left or black - unilaterally according to the personal beliefs of the people in power at the BBC, of course - who are so upright and infallible that their beliefs can actually be officially promoted to become proven and uncontroversial facts.

Perfectly clear and nobody could possibly argue with that........

It's maybe better than transwoman, but I suspect that you'd still get people thinking it means a biological woman identifying as male. Over the last year I've seen a lot more use of the words male and female with reference to trans identities.

No I don’t post there any longer. They kept shutting down the comments section on GC articles and/or barring me from commenting and censoring/removing my posts. I got into a few arguments with journos too who entered the comments section. That’s the thing about The Times, they were great at publicising the matter but would censor those who agreed with their articles. It got a bit bonkers.

I’ve started another thread. Have a look.

As someone who was born female, I’ve decided to identify as a trans woman. I am going to attend Pride, wave my trans flag and become a spokestranswoman for the entire community.

If we’re all the same then clearly it works the other way around too.

The era of "sex and gender are different" didn't last long.

Well put

Good point.

😡 This is fucking outrageous. Can we complain about their ridiculous handling of this complaint?

Hmmm, no I don’t think all of them do. In fact I know they don’t. But there have been unbelievable meltdowns between different factions of the movement any time men have tried to join in support in any significant numbers. Yeah, that’s jogged my memory. It’s been a problem in the past.