Are Transwomen male or female? Ask the BBC

[Justme56]

https://pressgazette.co.uk/the-wire/newspaper-corrections-media-mistakes-errors-legal/justin-webb-bbc-today-trans-complaint/

Just went on the complaints page to complain about the Justin Webb issue, and top of their list on that page, showing complaints they have received, is the reporting on Scarlet Blake. This is what they say:

Summary of complaint
We received complaints from people unhappy our reports on the conviction of Scarlet Blake have referred to her as a woman.

Our response
Scarlet Blake was tried as a woman and the pronoun ‘she’ was used throughout.
BBC reporting in this area follows the publicly available BBC News style guide. It says: “We generally use the term and pronoun preferred by the person in question, unless there are editorial reasons not to do so.” In this case, we considered it editorially appropriate to include the fact that Blake is a transgender woman and did so across our output. We accept that should have been included in the report on the News at One on 26 February.

This is what I say... they completely misled a lot of people, and the fact that Blake was transgender (I hate the phrase "transgender woman" as it is almost as misleading as "woman"). Also, "transgender" didn't appear in all their reports, and when it did it was often buried near the bottom of the page.

HE IS A BLOODY MAN.

That's a great letter.
Thank you for sharing.

WickedSerious · Today 12:43

It's not a 'view,it's a cold,hard fact you fucking dinkles

Dinkles is a new one for me; I shall endeavour to introduce it to real life conversations!

They are using their editorial guidelines as their defence.

The last set of editorial guidelines were set in 2019 by BBC Chairman David Clementi, I believe. A former Governor of The Bank of England. Figures, because ‘trans’ is all about money. Tony Hall was Director General at the time. Don’t know enough about him but likely another snake in the grass.

Thank you- I can't take all the credit, ChatGPT is pretty good at roughing one out and I tweak to fit what I want!

It is just not consistent.

BBC as quoted above by @DuesToTheDirt says: “We generally use the term and pronoun preferred by the person in question, unless there are editorial reasons not to do so.”

In other words this means We generally use self-ID unless there are editorial reasons to mention sex.

This is clearly the stance they have belatedly come to with Scarlett Blake.

But why then is Justin Webb dragged over the coals for mentioning sex, which their own guidelines state can be appropriate when there are editorial reasons to do so?

If I was a BBC journalist I would be extremely confused here.

Why was Justin Webb's comment on sex not covered by 'editorial reasons' whereas the Scarlett Blake reference to birth sex was? Who decides on this? Where is it written down what an 'editorial reason' to talk about sex is? That is what I would be asking if I worked at the BBC.

From TwiXter

No fucking wonder they're in uproar. I'd be livid.

BBC Director General

[email protected]

I can’t fully see the photos. They are both cut off and won’t open or enlarge.

I’m nonethewiser as to what is being shown.

I’ve also complained:

I am appalled that Justin Webb has been found in breach of the BBC guidelines on impartiality for stating ‘trans women, in other words males’.

To try and frame this as ‘endorsing one viewpoint in a highly controversial area’ because it was ‘without qualification as to gender or biological sex’ is quite frankly nonsense.

The World Health Organisation defines the terms ‘woman’ and ‘man’ as referring to gender and ‘male’ and ‘female’ to biological sex, therefore Webb’s statement is factually accurate and correct.

Under the WHO definitions, it is clear that Webb was clarifying that a trans woman’s gender (woman) is not the same as their biological sex (male) and therefore no further clarification was appropriate or necessary.

When I listen to R4 Today I want to hear clarity and facts, not obfuscation. Stating a fact and by doing so clarifying that trans women are males in a discussion about males entering the female category in sporting competitions is what I would expect a R4 presenter to do - otherwise people who do not know that trans women are male would not understand the discussion.

If the BBC’s remit is to remain to ‘inform and educate’ then you should at least allow your staff to accurately state facts.

So sick of this shit.

Such a clear letter, thank you for the example you set here both in writing it and its content.

The text from Robert Jessell tweet:

Word is that the BBC newsroom is in absolute uproar over the BBC's upholding of the complaint against Justin Webb.

Just a reminder that the broadcaster isn't a monolith. There are plenty of Justin Webbs at the BBC

Thank you to PPs for posting your letters. They have inspired me to send my own to Tim Davie. And I've also sent a message of support for Justin Webb to the R4 Today programme on WhatsApp.

@SabrinaThwaite Thank-you.

03301234346 is the WhatsApp number for the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.

I've written to complain as well using @AlphariusOmegron 's link. I selected "General BBC" and then "Bias" the categories.

This might also be useful for complaints:

https://murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/2024/03/01/the-bbc-ruling-on-justin-webb-ignoring-public-confusion-and-scientific-fact/

Interestingly (or worringly), from this group’s research fewer than 2/3rds of people understood the meaning of the terms “transgender woman” and “trans woman”.

Male/female can refer to either gender or sex.

If it’s gender, it’s “masculine” or “feminine”.

Good. Glad it's getting pushback from within.

I've submitted a complaint. (You have to include your full address and phone number(!!))

Thank you to the poster who highlighted the need to verify your email address and look out for the relevant email in your inbox. Otherwise your complaint won't be submitted.

To me,

• sex
• gender
• masculine/feminine

are all different things.

Male/female: sex.
Masculine/feminine: gender.

I currently don't have a TV licence, as I don't watch any TV that would require it. I am aware that the TV licence does also pay for other services such as radio and websites from them, which I do use. But for this reason above among others, I certainly shan't be rushing to get one again. Whatever 'man' and 'woman' are currently taken to mean, male=biologically male, in humans and all other organisms that have two sexes.

Using facts is not a view or opinion. So the BBC would rather lie then and pretend men can magically change to women on a say so or feeling or by popping in a dress and lipstick.

So many lies to keep men happy.