IPSO consultation: tell IPSO what you think about lady penises in the news

[pattihews]

In the last week or two Janice Turner wrote an article about Adam Graham (male rapist whom Nicola Sturgeon wanted imprisoned with women) and used male pronouns throughout, breaking the IPSO advice to identify transgender individuals in the way they preferred. She backed it up with an article explaining why she'd done it and reminding the public and journalists that IPSO's guidelines are only that — guidelines.

This week IPSO has launched a public consultation (closes 10 March 2023) on guidance for the reporting of sex and gender. Haven't filled it in myself yet so can't comment on the questions or answer options. Please, please fill it in and get as many people as possible to do so too. The way in in which future cases are reported may depend on it.

www.ipso.co.uk/what-we-do/consultations/public-consultation-on-guidance-on-reporting-of-sex-and-gender-identity/

Janice Turner, I salute you. I imagine you had to fight to get the Times to publish the original article. You're great.

Thanks for posting. I had a quick look through but it's one of those where I really want to consider my comments carefully, as there are free text boxes as well as choosing from several different options, iirc.

Fortuitously, we've just had another example of this, the TW who's just appeared in court on charges of possessing child sexual abuse images. Complete with a clarifying photo of this 'individual', as Nicola Sturgeon would no doubt refer to him.

What did you think of the proposed guidance?

I think it is quite nuanced and was probably intended more for editors and professional journalists. I've roughed out my responses (tend to write my comments on a separate document, with the guidelines open so that I can read them as I go) but am not sure I've taken it all aboard. It would be great if people with inside knowledge would comment.

But the positive thing is there's loads of free space to write what you like and you're not asked about your gender!

Just a little bump for this. The deadline is 10 March.

Thank you. I also have strong feelings about this so will be replying.

I didn’t read Janice’s article but I commend her for refusing to bow down before the naked Emperor.

That’s good because I don’t have a gender

In the case of A woman v Daily Mail, the Complaints Committee
recognised that the choice of language by a victim of sexual assault to refer to her attacker was significant. The publication had changed the pronouns used
in direct quotations attributed to the woman about her experience of the assault from “he/him” to “she/her”. The Committee found no breach of the Editors’ Code
as the complainant had agreed to the change before publication.

This is so disingenuous. The woman 'agreed' on the basis that otherwise her story would not be published at all. Nevertheless, what she was quoted as saying was not what she actually said. She can't have really fully agreed to it, since if she had done, she would not then have then complained to IPSO that the article misrepresented her!

Absolutely. Point out that this conflicts with the actual Editors Code document which says that the point of the code is to follow its spirit, not to just technically stick to it.

This example made me read the code again. It bans harassment of people who are in news stories, but there is nothing about not manipulating interviewees.

9 days left to respond!

I just say this article, it would be so much clearer if the headline said "man".

Women runners do not care that the man identifies as transgender, he could identify as Jesus or a horse. His identity he chooses isn't the problem. The problem with him being in a women's race is that he is a man. That is why he won.

The IPSO guidelines need to allow for this level of clarity.

Bumping

It only takes a few minutes. Check Sex Matters reply if you need some prompting.

ends soon!

Does anyone know when the results of this consulation will be published?

The original 'guidance' (now gospel for news outlets) was written by Stonewall, Mermaids et al.

I'm also wondering: is there a group flagging up misleading use of pronouns in the media? I submit complaints when I spot them, but it would be good to be systematic about it. As the MRAs are.