Jeremy Vine’s justification for calling a rapist “Karen”

[speakingwoman]

Vine said this:

“As a broadcaster I have to call this person “she” or there would be complaints under the Broadcasting Code and they would be upheld against me.”

I would be grateful for any information about whether this is true. What is this “Broadcasting Code” and what is its force. If it is true, it seems to me to have serious implications.

Personally, I find referring to this rapist as 'her' or 'Karen' is actually turning out to be a good thing.

It seems to be raising people's awareness. I work for one of the larger supermarkets in their offices and our whole floor was talking about this yesterday. The conversation were are around the danger of self id and crime stats reporting as well as the danger men like this pose to women.

It actually made my day to see so many people peak trans.

The floor below has a trans woman working there and she was the most vocal about why self id should not be ok. She wishes to present as a woman, be referred to as she and just be treated the same as anyone else. She doesn't insist on using the women's bathrooms and lots to use one of the many accessible toilets we have instead. She is a lovely person and I have no problem calling her by her name or she.

She was horrified by this and has been by other similar stories. She doesn't believe women should make room for her. Yesterday was a good day at work because this rapist was referred to as she over and over again.

@Notacluewhatthisis that's so lovely to hear - until you have that example as it a good thing I hadn't thought of it that way.

MN makes me question and qualify my opinions and beliefs and that's why I come here - can't make sense out of people in RL!

I used to work at the BBC, not in editorial as such but the guidelines were strictly followed. The use of surname is an interesting point and I think they have made it clear in articles online that White went by other names - male names - before but Vine would be told to use preferred pronouns even if he personally disagreed with doing so.

I also think referring to this person as "Karen" raises awareness of this issue. They can invite comment and debate without even mentioning it themselves.

Vine's justification is also very neutral and does not make reference to his personal beliefs about this, so the discussion cannot be steered towards whether or not Vine is a transphobe.

There was a brief report about it on 6music news the other night. They referred to ‘Karen White, a transgender woman.’ Then throughout as she.No mention of biological sex, but they said that ‘she’ had committed sexual assaults after being moved to a female prison. It was all very confusing and misleading. If I wasn’t all too familiar with the case I would have no idea what the hell they were on about. It was just woman woman woman, and she she she throughout.

And not a peep about the fact that he (KW) was pretending to be a woman to get access to female victims.

Badstyley can you link that?

I saw this on a discussion yesterday, but can't find any proof of it. I am also confused because he is continuing with treatment.....wonder who is paying for that.

Not saying you are wrong, but I have been trying to find it and can't

Thanks. I agree with this:

“Mumsnet is a bubble of well-informed women capable of critical thinking. Sadly, the world at large invariably isn't the same and many, many people have no idea of the legal definition of rape. They will hear Karen and rapist and believe that a woman has raped someone. The finer points will be lost on them.”

I think it was on either the 6:30 or 7:30 news on Wednesday evening, so it would have either been the Steve Lamaq or the Mark Riley show. Pretty sure it was on weds.