BBC article claiming self id already exists

[gardenbird48]

Has anyone else noticed in the article on BBC Newsbeat (in the BBC News app) that the article ‘Black Trans Lives Matter protest’ by Tracy Ollerenshaw and Michael Baggs has a paragraph that very clearly states ‘Currently under the Equality Act 2010, transgender people can self-identify their gender’. This is not anywhere close to the truth and I have put in a complaint to the BBC pointing out that this is a gross misrepresentation of the Equality Act and likely to inflame an already febrile situation.

Can you link to it OP? I'm pretty sure I know Ollerenshaw. I'll complain too. Such poor journalism, it really isn't difficult to get it right.

Thanks @Oholyjesus I think I’ve done it right: Black Trans Lives Matter protest: 'Why we're marching' www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-53192703

They have misunderstood the EA 2010 and are confusing gender and gender reassignment.

'Gender' is not a protected characteristic. Gender reassignment is a protected characteristic. Somebody should not be discriminated against because of Gender reassignment.

'Sex' is a protected characteristic and exemptions in the equalities act allow the existence of single sex spaces. Somebody with a GRC changes legal sex and must be treated as their legal sex in most situations. There are no single gender spaces.

Honestly, the level of ignorance over this is astonishing. People holdng strong views on self ID, and they don't even know what it is.

You used to be able to trust the BBC as the standard for truth that others should be compared to. I remember Sky news leading with breaking news but with inaccuracies and the BBC went later with the sorry and the correct numbers of deaths in something for example.

Now they can't even be bothered to google what the law is, it would take less than a minute to find what the protected characteristics are, the BBC standard of journalism is now literally making it up as you go along.

This story has been changed online, it removes the self ID bit.

Interesting - it seems they responded to complaints.

You used to be able to trust the BBC as the standard for truth that others should be compared to.

That was a long time ago. They've totally drunk Tory Kool Aid in a bid to exchange liberty for security.

We all know how that ends.

@OhHolyJesus

This story has been changed online, it removes the self ID bit.

You are absolutely right that they do, but the problem is that they keep putting this stuff out there in the first place. The original version is the one that most people will read and they do not mark that it has been amended or why.

Quite right Pale

I very rarely go back and re-read an article.

I have complained. I imagine it was changed in a response to complaints but the journalists will continue to do it and the BBC won't ever change, it's too far gone.

Ffs!! Op here - I have had no response to my complaint to the BBC - has anyone else? I notice that the article has been updated and links to another article to explain more about the GRA. Unfortunately this article also misrepresents the EA 2010 and states that the protected characteristic of gender reassignment can be achieved by self id. What have I missed in the wording of the EA that allows self id??

You are missing nothing. It protects those who self-ID from discrimination. It does not bestow them the rights of the sex associated with their self-declared gender identity.