Beechgrove Garden inclusivity.

It’s not a show about feelings, straight, queer or anything in-between - it’s a show about gardening. No-one watches BG to hear any of the presenters talk about how they feel about their sexuality, gender identity or biological sex fgs - their feelings are about the weather or their poor strawberry crops, that kind of relevant garden related stuff. No-one is prevented from being on the show - they’re all welcome to talk about gardening.

Is a gay garden like the gay Gordon’s?

only greener?

What does a french physicist who demonstrated the Earth's rotation have to do with FWR?

Yeah, most people probably haven't heard of Foucault.

It sounds like you’re lumping all non heterosexual people together, and implying they are a threat to children - but maybe you just phrased it badly.

If you read 'some (a minority)' as remotely implying that then I think you're gratuitously misreading.

(And also, nowadays quite a few people identifying as 'queer' are heterosexual)

There's obviously absolutely nothing wrong with LGBT people being on a gardening show. There's probably been loads over the years (though some might find the term 'queer' offensive due to being used as such). But they'd be on it truly inclusively rather than 'othered', for their gardens and gardening skills not for being queer.

What's so hard to understand about that?

Great - you didn’t watch it, but you’re here to cheerlead for not allowing queer people to be on it, just in case they talk about their feelings.

What has any of that to do with queer people appearing on a show about people who garden?

It sounds like you’re lumping all non heterosexual people together, and implying they are a threat to children - but maybe you just phrased it badly.

What do you mean by that?

'Queer theory' may have begun as a good idea - rejections of some societal norms of the time particularly heteronormativity.

But in western liberal societies now, being against heteronormativity now is the socially accepted norm, as is being anti racist etc.

Some (a minority, but some prominent) of the 'queer theorists' were interested in queering norms re the taboo on sexual relationships between adults and children. Not all norms should be 'queered'.

A person's sexuality or gender identity has nothing to do with their ability to garden. There have been several gay couples showing off their gardens on GW over the years, no problem. They talked about their favorite plants, taking cuttings whatever. No objections to that, why would there be?
If the trans person (disclaimer- didn't watch it) was there to talk about, I don't know, their best method of propagating fuchsias or earthing up their potatoes then yes, have them on the program. If they were just their to waft around in a frock and talk about their feelings, Beechgrove garden isn't the right place.

This shoving the "T" into everywhere regardless of whether they have anything to add to the subject (other than their pronouns) makes me very cross!

What do you mean by that?

It sounds like you’d rather non heterosexual people kept quiet about it - but maybe you just expressed yourself badly.

Why oh why does everything have to be "queered"? No wonder that there has been a drop in support of LBGTQIA+whatever rights, people are sick to the back teeth of it seemingly being shoved down their throats.

Bet no 'turfs' get laid there, LOL
not very inclusive, is it, though 'inclusivity' is the mantra.

Did you comply with the group's questions, Fizzadora?

I joined a local Facebook gardening and plant swap group recently and was asked to introduce myself and my pronouns to the rest of the group🤔

I've asked my plants if they care how I identify. They haven't said.

I saw it, although I was already a couple of sheets to the wind to steel myself against the inevitable humping by Germany.

I seem to remember there was the usual waffle about feeling "safe" and I was ranting at the telly to "Jack" who I think was Non-Binary "You're a lassie" and DH and I lamenting "What happened to just being a good old-fashioned lesbian"?

I assume the person with the long hair and make up was a TW but as they were wearing a denim jacket and combat trousers, who knows (or cares)?

I did however learn that a loofah is a type of gourd and not a sea creature as I always thought, so every day's a school day.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00205fh/beechgrove-garden-2024-episode-11

I have no idea what the relevance of one’s sexuality has to do with being a keen gardener.

Nor have I.

Unless of course they are utilising their produce in a way that is probably unpalatable to most.

I did think thank heaven for small mercies!

I don't know why I was reminded of the slang phrase 'gentleman's vegetables' but there we are.

Yes, it's surely completely and utterly unremarkable.

There isn't anything different about a gay garden. It's just a garden. It's like featuring gardens made by people who like marmalade, there's no connection.

Yes... well, I suppose if they featured Dalemain they might mention The World's Original Marmalade Awards and Festival but it's nowt to do with the garden.

I think with those other examples, it affects the form of the garden in one way or another.

Fundamentally, garden shows are about the gardens.

There isn't anything different about a gay garden. It's just a garden. It's like featuring gardens made by people who like marmalade, there's no connection.

I can see the point in gardening programmes featuring gardeners with disabilities and health problems, as it could be useful to find out the practical steps they take to cope with the physical labour involved, and they can talk about the benefits to physical and mental health.

I can also see the point in featuring gardeners from various cultures because there might be new things for UK-based gardeners to learn.

Also good to have a varied team of presenters and contributors so everybody feels gardening is for them.

However, as others have said, sexuality and gender identity are totally irrelevant to a person's ability to be a gardener.

I kind of thought there were always a lot of gay and lesbian gardeners?