Women's Hour today - Raquel Rosario Sanchez will be on

[Pterfodactyl]

It's an Emma Barnet episode. RRS will be on later.

*uphold the law

*Garrick

@Gastonia

Raquel also pointed out that there are mixed sex SU feminist and LGBT socs which she has no desire to shut down. Yes, she got in so many great points. It's not often that I've heard an interview on this subject where the interviewee actually managed to cover so much ground.

True. I also think that part of the problem is that there is so much ground to cover it is hard to know where to start. There are so many angles to it - and is this deliberate from Stonewall? - that it's barely even possible to cover the basics of what's going on in a fairly long written piece, let alone explain properly and evidence it.

The legal cases will be interesting to follow. I suspect that once the university takes proper legal advice they will fold

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0010p11

I caught this and it seemed like a very different approach form EB. About time too. Rosario spoke clearly and eloquently and really pointed out how amiss the uni has been caving to bullies

Raquel I mean

I don't mind the cross examination type tone, as long as it is applied across the board. I suspect that, had this been an interview with a TW, then there would have been a kinder tone and much head tilting. RRS was magnificently unflustered by the interview, and able to set out the course of events with admirable equanimity, considering how traumatic this must be for a foreign student with no family support network around her. I only detected a bit of emotion towards the end.

If this is the new WH, bring it on. I will make a point of listening in on EB's days as I do think she gets it.

I didn't think EB sounded especially stern, I thought her questions were fair and allowed RRS to explain fully what had happened and why it mattered.
My only reservation is that many listeners may think 'oh, it's happening at a university, it doesn't concern me' - so maybe a question about the wider implications would have been good.

Well said Raquel. You made your points so clearly and logically. Emma Barnetts tone was quite harsh but I think she is arming herself against the inevitable backlash. It's wild that Raquel had to explain the law to the college authorities - and they still did nothing.

BTW, thanks for the links about the injection thing. Don't know how that one passed me by. Interested to see whether it is an urban myth, or an urban myth turned into copycat style real life incidents. Or, dare I say it, a social contagion situation born of extreme worry that there is a danger lurking out there.

I suspect that, had this been an interview with a TW, then there would have been a kinder tone and much head tilting.

Yes. This is far more of a problem than stern questioning of our side. Stern questioning and allowing answers is fantastic, imo. If we can't answer stern questions, then we've got a problem.

I notice on their Twitter feed, WH's summary of the programme doesn't mention this feature. And they have tweeted separately about everything else too. Complete Twitter silence on this topic today.

But good on them for covering it, and I thought it was a good interview. Raquel was allowed to speak, and I prefer if guests are challenged and can provide answers. It's easy to sound reasonable if the interviewer is just agreeing. R came across very well, well done her!

@MildredsMussaurus

I notice on their Twitter feed, WH's summary of the programme doesn't mention this feature. And they have tweeted separately about everything else too. Complete Twitter silence on this topic today.

One has to wonder if this is part of a negotiation or if there is the proverbial intern in charge of the social media who gets to exercise this useful publicity function.

As a Bristolian it's interesting to see who in the city has maintained silence about what's happening to Raquel. They must know.

Off the top of my head:

4x Labour MPs (3 are women)
Labour mayor
'professional feminists' including those who get published in the Guardian on 'ending wars'
Hate crime and 'equality' orgs
Local press
Most of Raquel's fellow academics

Patting each other on the back about how equal and tolerant we all are is more fun I suppose.

Stern questioning and allowing answers is fantastic, imo. If we can't answer stern questions, then we've got a problem.
Totally agree with this.

@Gastonia

Stern questioning and allowing answers is fantastic, imo. If we can't answer stern questions, then we've got a problem. Totally agree with this.

The question can be stern, but the point I would make is that tone matters.

If a woman were to report a sexual assault and name her alleged assailant one would expect both to be interviewed by the police, both to face tough questions, but would also expect the alleged victim to be treated with a degree of kindness and humanity that the alleged perpetrator isn't entitled to.

I think the same thing applies in cases like this. ANy interviewee should be scrutinized, but if you're scrutinizing a rich white man representing a massive multinational accused of serious wrongdoing they deserve no kindness - if you are interviewing a relatively underprivileged woman simply trying to have the law and her basic rights upheld then one can ask a tough question without needing to do it in a tough way.

The lack of BBC journalists ability to be proportionate in this respect - instead being "equal" - is a bit like the way they give a climate change expert and a deluded bigoted actor the same time and respect on the issue of whether climate change is real.

Excellent interview. Bristol University has behaved appallingly, as Raquel says it seems they are afraid of standing up to the TRA bullies. Their treatment of Raquel has been so negligent , under what other circumstances would they not only tolerate such behaviour in their estate but then expect the bullied person to pay for security on their premises. It beggars belief.

Worrying that there is no Twitter content.

I also thought it was a weird ending. Raquel stopped talking and EB didn't kind of wrap it up , she just immediately started talking about the next topic. It sounded disjointed.

I agree that there is no need to adopt a stern tone to a women speaking about her experience. I felt the same when Keira Bell was interviewed by Evan Davis in a way that implied she bore responsibility for the outcomes of other young people. It was horrid bullying from people who should really know better.

As to the change in approach, it seems likely that the Nolan podcast revelations would have had some impact on programming guidelines perhaps?

if you are interviewing a relatively underprivileged woman simply trying to have the law and her basic rights upheld then one can ask a tough question without needing to do it in a tough way.

But that then extends to the "transwomen" just wanting what they claim to be their basic rights to women's spaces upheld.

It's better if both sides fairly get asked tough questions. Because we're in a far better to position those that would be thrown at us.

Tried to listen, but

“This episode is not currently available.”

@NecessaryScene

if you are interviewing a relatively underprivileged woman simply trying to have the law and her basic rights upheld then one can ask a tough question without needing to do it in a tough way.

But that then extends to the "transwomen" just wanting what they claim to be their basic rights to women's spaces upheld.

It's better if both sides fairly get asked tough questions. Because we're in a far better to position those that would be thrown at us.

That is what I'm saying! Everyone should face tough questions, the question is whether you go in aggressively with all guns blazing, or use pretty much the same words but a much kinder tone.

Given my opinions I would argue that the typical trans activist should be grilled like a polluting CEO of a multi-national.

BUT, I am also willing to say that, if I had four people in a room discussing women's and trans rights I'd like to think that the CEO of Stonewall and LGB Alliance got asked tough questions with no concern for their feelings, whereas the woman and the male bodied person who identifies as trans should face similarly tough questions but with much less of a demanding and accusatory tone.

@EmilyDickinson

The legal cases will be interesting to follow. I suspect that once the university takes proper legal advice they will fold

I doubt it given their performance in Raquel's bullying case. They will probably try every trick in the book to prolong the case and wriggle out of everything.

Talking of which - there is some digging required down at the allotments.