Government Petition For BBC To Record Sex Accurately - Interested?

[NameChangeForPetition]

Hi all,

Already a poster, but have name changed for this.

Recent events have had me writing for the last 24 hours on & off to draft a government petition requesting a debate on accurate reporting of offenders' sex by the BBC. I was up til 2am last night on it and have finished it now - pleased with the wording given the restrictions on number of characters, & with one friend all ready to sign as one of the initial 5 needed...

BUT...

I've got to put my name to it. Like others on here, in the current context that feels like a huge deal. I mean, the odds are that it'll fizzle into nothing, but if it doesn't, there are such genuine risks associated with putting yourself out there on this issue that, yes, it concerns me.

I was on the cusp of going for it, then asked a friend's advice. She's totally on board, rational & understated... yet her response can best be summed up as, "Hell no - don't do it!" She mentioned family & work among other concerns. It hit quite hard.

It maddens me that we're at the point where a woman is wary of putting her name to a carefully worded, factually grounded & empathetic petition asking Parliament to respect the truth and her rights - it's a measure of how bad things are. But, thinking of family & emotional health, it has, regrettably, given me pause.

So. To get to the point.

This friend suggested doing it via an organisation - I wondered about eg. Sex Matters. But then, if they were going to petition Parliament on this, surely they would have done so already (and they don't need my input or words to do so!) Any thoughts?

Alternatively, I wondered if one of you lovely people wanted to join forces. If there's someone out there who's feeling, as I did 24 hours ago, that they'd like to put something together but just can't face the effort to word it - if THAT was the hard bit for you - then I've done it. If you wanted to take over, to take it to the next stage - upload it etc. - then I could share what I've written, you could agree / edit / disregard or re-write as preferred, & I could offer my signature in support...

Then, with your courage and my words... etc. etc. etc.! This whole thing is about teamwork, after all.

I hope this doesn't sound hypocritical or weak, but, rather, is taken in the spirit in which it's intended: I want, so desperately, to take action, but, like so many of us, worry about the implications.

If there's anyone braver - or more foolish! - than me out there... Let me know.

Alternatively, if you'd be up for being an initial signatory, do also let me know. I've not yet decided against posting it myself; it's just a matter of which I worry I may regret more: doing it, or not doing it!

PS Haven't yet sussed the personal message function, but am sure can work it out; maybe just let me know on this thread if you decide to PM me. Or just use the thread.

Could you get in touch with womens organisations such as SexMatters or Womens Rights Network?
They may be helpful in compiling the petition.

Brilliant idea OP but I wonder if you’re looking at two petitions. Could this be rewritten as a petition to force MoJ to record male crimes as male crimes?

At the same time, start another one to deal with misattributed crime reporting in broadcast media (all broadcasters- not just BBC) and address that one to broadcast regulator OfCom?

The mere fact that to produce a petition to uphold facts is so potentially dangerous is awful. 😪

Thanks, all.

I meant to mention above, but haven’t made it very clear, that I’ve emailed to ask about validity - I hope it will be as the Beeb is my focus as our national, „impartial“ broadcaster! I asked in my email whether I could refer to the media more generically as you suggest, Sloth, but wondered if this would be within the government‘s power, too! 🤷 I didn’t think of OfCom - an excellent idea!!!

I’ve also emailed Sex Matters to ask for help.

I did consider targeting crime recording, but went for media reporting as I personally think that is, rather, the root cause! It’s all a bit chicken & egg of course, but the BBC‘s refs to „having to say what the police say“ are evasive nonsense - IPSO makes it very clear they’re not limited by this - & the public will never hear about what the police are doing without the media being honest about it. It’s the media that enables this - the BBC is strategically directing how the nation responds to this issue. And that disgusts & frightens me.

I guess another ugly consideration is the implications of inviting government interference in the language the BBC uses in this era of alternative facts. If the BBC can, effectively, argue (through the complaints it rejects or upholds) that describing a transwoman as male is biased while applying "female" in this context is objective, then we really are in a dangerous realm in which reality is what the powerful say it is. Do we want to invite the government to the party with the BBC in this? They're already having enough fun with it at the dispatch box (dear Keir...)