BBC respond to my complaint re the C word

[pennydrew]

I complained about an article using the term starting with ‘c’ that is happily not allowed on Mumsnet. This is their response:

Thank you for getting in touch about our article reporting that campaigners opposed to a council motion about Liverpool's transgender community have been accused of "intimidation" and "abuse" by the city's mayor (www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-45589563).

We amended this sentence to now simply refer to “women” because “c**gender women” may not be widely understood by readers.

Thank you once again for getting in touch.

Kind Regards

BBC Complaints Team
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

Chrysanthemums, here's the link to the Liverpool Resister's speech at the council meeting:

She also spoke at WPUK in Liverpool - she is a great orator! The transcript of her speech is here:

liverpoolresisters.wordpress.com/2018/09/25/a-woman-speaks/

Well done penny! I love your second email
To them!

IStandWithPosie Thanks!

The motion, which proposed treating all trans women the same as women who are not transgender

I suppose ... there is a difference between 'women' (all adult human females) and 'women who are not transgender' (adult human females, other than transmen)

But I don't suppose that's what they meant.

It’s like having something attached to my name that identifies I’m not Christian. What’s it got to do with my sex? Nothing. Leave me out of it. Women. That’s it. No other identifier for me thanks.

Thanks BingBong!

penny

Good on you. The BBC is just embarrassing in its news reporting now

Reported my own post, did not intend to identify account

I genuinely hate this term - I am woman; adult human female!

I hate it too. We need to fight back.

I have also replied to the BBC to point out that their email to me was misleading. Can't believe they did that - they would have got away with it too if weren't for you meddling vipers, as I took their reply at face value.

RogerAllamsFangirl I’m glad someone else is complaining about their lies.

Complaints are good, including progressing the complaint when they lie to you try to fob you off.

We need impartial reporting!

This derogatory labelling would simply not be done with other protected categories under the equality Act than sex.

Can you imagine the insulting equivalent being used as a label for people of a race, or religious group, or sexuality?

The BBC are not applying neutral terms or being impartial here. They have been lobbied and are now forcing a descriptor on to women that is heavily contested and dangerously politicised.

Ignorance is not an excuse. They have been complained to and told why it’s wrong and they have picked a side. It’s completely unacceptable.

Complaints link here:

www.bbc.co.uk/faqs/comment_appreciation

They aren't ignorant, they picked a side.

Ive now been waiting for four weeks for a follow-up to my original complaint, to which their reply was wholly inadequate.

I’m dug in now though, and I’m not going anywhere!

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.bbc.co.uk/corporate2/insidethebbc/managementstructure/biographies/jordan_david&ved=2ahUKEwiZvNDY4e7dAhVLLMAKHXkzAzAQFjABegQICxAE&usg=AOvVaw0sl-vA9vRHqdXucm2vGE-D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">who leads this bbc policy

Someone called Keith Jones is head of complaints? I don't know if director of complaints is different?

That's the exact same response I've had from them. Will complain again...

Director will be more senior than Head.

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=rocketreach.co/bbc-email-format_1762&ved=2ahUKEwiRle_64u7dAhVHF8AKHfDtBCkQFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw1_cGDT2bNZiMl2RHvdWeVM&cshid=1538724392878" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">direct email format

So apparently half of BBC direct email addresses are first name dot last name dot bbc dot Co dot UK (see link)

This is the BBC's woke bedfellow's The Independent's response to my criticism of the 'c' word

we do not consider "cisgender" to be derogatory, but rather simply a description of people who identify with the sex they were assigned at birth.

The Independent is not currently part of the system of self-regulation overseen by IPSO. You can find out more about our position here: www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-only-way-is-ethics-proper-journalism-does-not-set-out-to-upset-religious-readers-but-it-may-be-unavoidable-9717191.html.

The irony: 'A free press ought not to feel intrinsically inhibited by the possibility of offending religious sentiment or, frankly, any cultural values – be they normative or not.'

Clearly, this does not apply to transgender.

I hate The Independent.

That's incredibly abusive from the Indie.