The Times - BBC advises all staff to use trans‑friendly pronouns

[McDuffy]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/8ff3493a-c218-11ea-91bd-3bac3c644e50?shareToken=f5b8f402b33181f8e10ee0a84b47704b

Would love to see another series of W1A getting stuck into this crap.

*"More than 400 BBC employees, 2 per cent of the total, identify as transgender, according to internal surveys.“

More than 400? That explains a lot!*

This is from the BBC diversity report. From memory, you BBC an still look it up I think, there was a disproportionate number in Commissioning which explains the rainbow programmes like Pose and I Am Leo.

So on one hand Stonewall are telling us that someone’s gender is none of our business and we must accept without exception but on the other hand we have to announce our pronouns in every communication? It just makes no sense!

I'd have thought that if you were a 'they' , seeing the vast majority of your co-workers explicitly stating he or she would just make you feel more marginalised.
(Like women in male dominated environments)

So that included staff worldwide? I’d love to see how that is explained in parts do the world where these things won’t be understood (ie no pronouns) or where it’s illegal to be gay.

So that included staff worldwide? I’d love to see how that is explained in parts do the world where these things won’t be understood (ie no pronouns) or where it’s illegal to be gay.

Cultural imperialism at the BBC?

@Xanthangum

All female BBC employees should list their pronouns as under/paid

I would suggest that they list their pronouns as Joanne/Rowling

Many years ago I worked with a female named Lee & a male named Leigh all in the same department.

Sometimes others would assume their sex if they had not met them. It was always cleared up & no offence taken & no email pronouns used.

I am so sick of this bullshit wokeness.
Like just sick of it.

@FeeBeeBooh

Many years ago I worked with a female named Lee & a male named Leigh all in the same department.

Sometimes others would assume their sex if they had not met them. It was always cleared up & no offence taken & no email pronouns used.

I worked with two women - a Jo, one with a partner called Joe, and the bosses son was Joe. We survived...

Isn't there masses of evidence on bias around sex in the workplace?

It's only 6 months since Samira Ahmed won her court case demonstrating that there is very DEFINITELY bias around sex at the BBC.

Now the BBC want women to declare that they identify with the bullshit gender expectations that led them to be paid less.

Perhaps they think it will save them some money.

It’s easy and free though isn’t it?

Paying women the same rate as males - ££
Making loos disabled accessible - ££
Installing handrails/Braille/ signs/ramps - ££
Widening doors, lowering reception desks etc for wheelchair users - ££
Changing lighting - ££
Bringing in BSL signers for meetings - ££
Etc etc etc.

Yes Serenity, you are right.

This is also the problem with the toilets issue. Acknowledging the reasons that toilets are important for different groups, and that provision is inadequate for many people, and that investment needs to be made in infrastructure is £££££.

Putting a new sticker on a door is maybe £20.

£20 - are you kidding? £2k more like (a free pack comes with stonewall training surely)

Aren't there studies that show women being reminded of their sex in situations where there are negative stereotypes associated with performance (in a maths test for example), it does actual create a negative impact on their performance?

So in situations such as negotiations or even contributing ideas, which women are often penalised due to their sex, wouldn't this be further disadvantaging women?

So if we are told that your sex or sexuality shouldn’t matter in your career - why the hell shoudl how you choose to present yourself to the world?

So in situations such as negotiations or even contributing ideas, which women are often penalised due to their sex, wouldn't this be further disadvantaging women?

Isnt this where all women shortlists come in? Oh wait...

Thanks nauticant
We have a sky subscription so not sure it would work (I need access to a certain live Sky channel for my job!)
I used to love the BBC

Good morning. This is Today with Justin Webb, he/him, and Martha Kearney, she/her. The headlines this morning ...

ASOS were doing that on their Instagram feed for their models, not sure if it was just for Pride month

You know I almost feel like this does gender non-conforming people a disservice as it forces them to constantly draw attention to their gender identity and place themselves in a box.

I know a lovely, fairly quiet man in his 40s, married with kids, who has always expressed his feminine side ever since I knew him as a young man (e.g. wearing flowery tops sometimes, nail polish etc) but he has never gone on about it or claimed to be anything other than a man, and uses the men's loos. I always think of him when it comes to declaring pronouns - it's like he's being forced to actually say "yes I use he/him so I'm definitely 100% male" or "I prefer she/her so I'm openly defining myself as trans" or "I'm they/them and want to openly declare I'm non-binary". Of course I'm massively projecting here and he may be fine with the declaring pronouns thing, but it just feels unhelpful to me and doesn't allow people any subtlety or privacy.

You know I almost feel like this does gender non-conforming people a disservice as it forces them to constantly draw attention to their gender identity and place themselves in a box.

Completely agree.

The BBC are going to make it easier for the license fee to be removed by doing this.

It's depressing. I'm a champion of the organisation but they are making it increasingly difficult even for the likes of me.

BBC staff are urged to “help to create a culture where everyone feels comfortable introducing themselves with pronouns”.

What about the people who don't feel comfortable introducing themselves with pronouns for all the reasons stated by PP?

How do they make their feelings known?

It draws attention to gender non-conforming people and means they have to put themselves in a box.

It draws attention to the sex of people who might feel like their work is being judged and belittled on the basis of their sex - women.

It is compelling the speech of people who don’t subscribe to this particular ideology.

It’s in direct conflict with the English language which uses pronouns appropriate for sex, not gender.

But it benefits the fewer than 2%, who without this bending the remaining 98% to their will, will complain they feel “unsafe”.

No.