Woman's Hour now: BBC walking away from Stonewall

[nauticant]

Emma Barnett is asking the questions.

I've sent positive feedback.

Ben Hunte was the BBC's first dedicated LGBT correspondent PigeonLittle. He was utterly rubbish, and not at all impartial, and seemed for some reason to include lots of incorrect information in his articles which always seemed to benefit trans activism. He left the BBC under a cloud and there was much rejoicing:

twitter.com/fairplaywomen/status/1438818681723793409

Hunter was the BBC LGBTQ correspondent. There were many complaints about his reporting, his lack of impartiality and his close affiliation with Stonewall. He's since left and now works for Vice.

Dame Jenni paved the way perhaps, for Emma to show what a great journalist she is. Two years ago this kind of questioning would not have been possible at the BBC. A movement of reason, and support, and tenacity bears fruit when it gives the floor over to the next generation to steer a discussion. Marvellous!

Well I just hope Emma doesn't get rape and death threats after that.

I wonder if the trans issue will ultimately bring Stonewall down? Stonewall has done a great deal of good work until it lost it's way getting tangled up with trans issues.

Interesting that he wanted to make a very strong distinction between how they treat their colleagues, and what the content of their output is. Surely, if impartiality is the key, wouldn't that work in both situations? Especially if you see a clash of rights amongst your colleagues?

[quote Shewholovedthethebanhills]@Lovelyricepudding his line seems to be it was all about internal policy not editorial policy? Which EB is still challenging, of course.[/quote]
Well what was so wrong with the bbc they felt they needs to pay such a huge amount to an outside agency to influence their internal policy?

Why couldn’t they understand the equality act themselves?

Why couldn’t the treat lgbt+ employees with dignity and without discrimination without an outside agency telling them how to behave?

That alone raises some pretty significant questions.

@MrsMadderRose

I think Emma's been well and truly "educated" (in a good way!) by some of the interviews/research she's done on this topic and is really getting to grips with the issues. Either that or she's just been able to be a bit more honest in light of the recent direction of travel.

She can be brusque and pushy but sometimes you really want that. Woman's hour should be about standing for women and asking the questions about women's issues.

When she took over I initially missed WH as it used to be - cosy mid-morning chat about mad knitting projects, women poets, the odd politician, a bit about women's health, slightly weird cookery segments, and domestic stories about family dynamics. When the new presenters started I didn't like what i remember describing as Emma's 'hectoring' tone.

I have now completely, and happily, revised my opinion as I can see the programme is becoming what it absolutely needs to be in the 21st century. If I want cosy I can pick up a copy of Good Housekeeping. I bloody love Emma Barnett's tenacity and fearlessness and I admire her enormously for shaking up an institution that - thanks to the scold's bridle previously placed on its presenters - was failing in its remit. (I have to confess I don't bother listening on Fridays though. Anita Rani's saccharine niceness sets my teeth on edge.) It's so refreshing to hear women who are not afraid to be assertive and challenge men, without apologising for it.

Positive feedback sent - I wonder if it will be published given they note that they like to show off praise ;)

Anita Rani's Fluffy Fridays drive me to distraction WinterTrees.

@OhHolyJesus

Has someone put truth serum in Emma's tea?

Her tune is certainly changed.

I don't think this is fair. She's been shackled until recently but there have been glimpses since before she started WH.

Let's show her some love and remember that the BBC loves feedback

Oh I can't wait to listen to this later. Lately I feel like the tide is starting to turn?? But I can be quite naive. Is it??

I will listen to this on the Sounds app later, it's about time that woman's hour cmae out fighting. Along with the Nolan podcast it appears the tanker has turned. Excellent.

So when did Emma peak?

I felt quite emotional during that. It's all being discussed smack in the middle of bbc programming, with all the sunlight that brings.

Thank you to the BBC manager who agreed to be interviewed. I'm such a woos I always really feel for whoever iz being interviewed in uncomfortable interviews like that. But he's paid the big bucks to answer the hard questions. I didn't think the 'pregnant people' question was that helpful tbh. It seems to me if a guest wants to use that language they can, but the presenter shouldn't imo, but he can't adjudicate on the hoof live on air.

The BBC is an unique organisation & position. I can't imagine another news organisation interviewing itself, doing podcast series on itself, criticising itself publicly. Being seen to be imperial, and trusted to be imperial, is (nearly) as important as actually being impartial.

Well done Emma.

lots of positive comments
twitter.com/Emmabarnett/status/1458728978332667904

@Emmabarnett
The first interview with a top BBC executive since the corporation decided to pull out of Stonewall. Only on @BBCWomansHour with me at 10am

I long held the impression that Emma Barnett's apparent lack of support was due to her being in hostage situation. Silence doesn't mean agreement.

He never answered the pregnant people question. You could have heard a pin drop. Coward

Good job Emma

So to précis, The huge amount of money Stonewall has been paid by the BBC has resulted in one appointment ( though appointee has now left) , a flurry of pronouns, but no concrete policy that a person who sits on one of the policy making committees can actually point to as now being embedded in BBC policy or programming guidelines.

I am hugely relieved that Stonewall has been shown the door, but would now like an investigation into the decision to employ them in the first place since they appear to have done FA for the money.

Did that guy actually say that only women can give birth is highly contested

Not listened yet but I'm very impressed! Agree that Jenni Murray helped pave the way for this and I find it quite moving thinking about one generation passing the torch down to the next. So to both Jenni and Emma.

Thanks for heads up, will listen later

slightly weird cookery segments

Always hated those! Jenni always sounded slightly OTT in them like she was over-faking her enthusiasm :o

Well what was so wrong with the bbc they felt they needs to pay such a huge amount to an outside agency to influence their internal policy?

Why couldn’t they understand the equality act themselves?

Why couldn’t the treat lgbt+ employees with dignity and without discrimination without an outside agency telling them how to behave?

I think this is a key question and it's to do with the way "transgender" as a concept makes no sense. It's hard to understand, because it makes no sense. But no one wants to say "this makes no sense" and be a bigot, so Stonewall (and any other self-appointed genderwoo "educator") are needed to explain to everyone who's uncertain what it all means and how we're supposed to deal with it. That explanation has to be the faith-based "TWAW" etc and that being transgender is a magical thing that happens the moment you say you are and sex doesn't matter - because any other position is locigally easily dismantled. So you end up with people like the BBC, NHS, judges etc taking this advice because it's the Official Right Thing To Do and not able to say "hang on a minute" because part of the Official Right Thing To Do is that you're not allowed to question it.

Trans extremists don't want the same rights as everyone else - they have those. They want rights that involve forcing other people to collude with magical thinking, and that's why organisations trying to do the right thing get so tied up in knots.

I didn’t hear the whole thing, but I should imagine he’s been on that course entitled, ‘100 Ways To Avoid Answering A Straight Question By Slithering Around It Like An Oiled Snake’.

Also required learning for politicians.

BloodinGutters

Well what was so wrong with the bbc they felt they needs to pay such a huge amount to an outside agency to influence their internal policy?

Why couldn’t they understand the equality act themselves?

Why couldn’t the treat lgbt+ employees with dignity and without discrimination without an outside agency telling them how to behave?

That alone raises some pretty significant questions.

It does. And it certainly suggests to me that there were some internal wrangling over policies which many people disagreed with. Maybe stonewall was brought in, initially, to help back up those who wanted those policies put in place. And, as we have seen play out elsewhere, this can quickly disadvantage people as Stonewall do not adhere to the equality act.

I wonder if it's taken months to get to this point because of all the NDAs that needed to be signed!

I've just realised that Emma Barnett was the interviewer in that interview with Jo Swinson in 2019 before the election. She has been willing to talk about these issues for a while it seems.