AIBU to be annoyed at comments about Jennie Murray’s legacy?

[Bertiebiscuit]

I'm furious with Harriet Harmon, how dare she end up her tepid praise of Jennie Murray (may she R I P) on the Today programme by saying that Jennie's views in 'trans'... "didn't take away from the rest of her career". How utterly mealy mouthed, Jennie was cancelled and lost her job for telling the truth that men calling themselves "trans women" are not real women and never can be. For sane women this was Jennie's finest hour, she refused to bow down to the men in frocks, and her being sacked from Women's hour was a disaster, bad for Jennie, one of the beebs best ever communicators, and bad for Women's hour which most proper feminists no longer bother with. Trust the misogynist BBC and Labour Party to insult women all over again. I'm surprised that any women pay the licence fee to be treated this way, or ever vote Labour again, the size of their betrayal is breathtaking

At the risk of being the target of vitriol I wasn't a wholehearted fan of Jenni Murray - and I used to listen to Woman's Hour regularly .

But when she died I had the option of keeping my views to myself and allowing those who were grieving for her and who admired her to voice their praise and appreciation.

I'm not a Labour Party supporter and Harriet Harmon has sometimes not totally reflected my view points but she has generally been a great role model for women and I respect her. It was very fitting that she was asked to pay tribute to Jenni Murray but to expect her to be unfaithful to her own beliefs and views while paying tribute is ridiculous. So by referencing but not dwelling on this difference in views she did her best to not detract from Jenni Murray whilst not compromising herself.

I don't know what you expected her to do tbh.

Well said. Jenny Murray had integrity and courage

Harriet Harman knows that her support for the Paedophile Information Exchange will always be her legacy.

At the time, the PIE was campaigning to legalise sex with children under 16 and was supported by the National Council for Civil Liberties, then led by Blairite stalwarts Patricia Hewitt and Harriet Harman.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/paedophile-politicians-ones-got-away

You are absolutely not being unreasonable here; I’m astounded the bbc allowed this to happen.

She could have said ' while we disagreed on this...' rather than couching it as an invalid opinion ( an opinion protected by law).

From 1 hour 40 minutes.

Honestly, if i was HH and had the albatross of PIE round my neck i would STFU.

I don't support paedophile apologists on the whole, or women who join in throwing women under the 'trans' bus

Well said OP - anyone with half a brain knows that Jenni articulated what most rational people think and was punished for it.

Totally agree OP - by saying that she is focussing on JM’s biologicallly correct understanding views on the trans issue and virtue signalling

I don't " support " Harriet Harmon. I didn't "support" Jenni Murray.

In general i believe it's impossible to find a role model that encapsulates all the values and view points that reflect your own opInion.
Therefore it's best to deal with things on an issue by issue basis and not put people on pedestals. Endorse their views you do agree with and soundly condemn those you feel are wrong.

I think if I was going to support one or the other, it would probably be the one whose controversy was caused by protecting women and girls (even if people don’t agree) than being a paedophile apologist.

I certainly would t have a paedo apologist as a ‘role model’, regardless of anything else they did.

Not that adults should particularly need role models in my opinion.

I also have mixed views about Jenni Murray (a friend of mine used to work with her). However, she was undoubtedly a fine journalist and broadcaster.
And the BBC are being very disingenuous in their eulogies, given that they basically 'cancelled' her. I agree with Jenni Murray's views on trans issues but, whether you do or don't agree, the BBC is supposed to reflect a range of opinions, and they were entirely wrong in how they treated Dame Jenni.

She could have said ' while we disagreed on this...' rather than couching it as an invalid opinion ( an opinion protected by law).

this, it should have been phrased better.

I agree with other posters as well, how would HH like it if the same sort of thing is said in her eulogy ‘her views on PIE didn't take away from the rest of her career’

It is Jenni, not Jenny or Jennie. The people who are supposedly sticking up for her might do her the courtesy of spelling her name correctly. Jenni wrote an article once on the subtle put down of having your name spelled incorrectly. I will try and find it.

From AI
Dame Jenni Murray, the long-standing host of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, used the spelling "Jenni" (with an 'i' at the end) and it is distinct from the more common "Jenny".

• Origin of the spelling: She was named in honour of the 1940s film star Jennifer Jones.
• Mother's preference: In an article for Stylist, she noted that her mother disliked the name "Jenny" because she associated it with a cow on her uncle's farm, preferring the "i" spelling.

As a prominent broadcaster and writer, her name was consistently spelled Jenni Murray in professional contexts.

She also wished that she had never changed her name on marriage. She was proud of her birth name.

Shutting up would not mean Harriet was unfaithful to her views, though. There's a time to express views and a time not to. Harriet had to have the last word it seems, after Jenni died. Mean, sadly. Silence would have been more dignified, but that's just my opinion btw!

Jenny Murray, legend

Harriet Harmon, PIE

Enough said.

At least Harriet Harman did Jenni the courtesy of spelling her name correctly.
From X
Impossible to overstate the importance of Jenni Murray to the movement of women that changed our politics, economy & our society; that changed our lives. She was the broadcasting wing of the women’s movement. We all owe her. RIP.

@smallglassbottle
Her name is Jenni Murray. She wrote a piece about the importance to her of having her name spelled correctly. It was a sadness to her that she changed her birth name/family surname to that of her first husband. She was proud that she was Jenni, not Jenny.

Since we're digressing onto spellings, could I point out Harriet's surname is Harman - hence Private Eye's nickname for her of Harperson.

"She could have said ' while we disagreed on this...' rather than couching it as an invalid opinion ( an opinion protected by law)."

Agree. I hate the assumption that something is universally agreed to be right-think when it is nothing of the sort.

I agree with Jenni Murray, but I will be voting Labour again, because I don't agree that they are misogynistic and that the Tories and Reform are not.

The Tories held an idiotic referendum and bumbled out of the EU which is longterm terrible for the economy. They trashed state education and the NHS. Removed widowed parents' allowance, upped student loan repayments to 40 years (longterm punishment for higher education if you don't have rich parents.)

All of this is extremely detrimental to young women (and men.) People don't only vote on trans issues thankfully. As for Reform, hopefully no one believes they'd have women's interests at heart! Abortion, women's health and safety and women's rights will all be at risk with them.

Dear goddess the spelling police are out in force. Because correct spelling is always the main thing.