For some years, trans people have been suffering transphobia from the press and media.
Within the BBC, the nations ‘state broadcaster’, this has become more regular and extreme. Yesterday (November 3rd), one MP took it on himself to write to the BBC’s Director-General and call this out. We can ask other MP’s to do likewise. Of course, most will not – but what we can achieve is to raise awareness of trans peoples plight and start to get more MP’s onside.
It is easy to write to your MP via the “Write to Them” website, or search for them by clicking HERE. Note you can only write to your MP or a Government minister – not anyone else’s MP. You must include your name and address in your email.
To make it easy, we have written the letter for you – which you can adjust if you feel appropriate. Just by copying and pasting this letter, plus a few clicks of your mouse and minimal typing, your complaint will be in your MP’s mailbox!
The letter reads:
Dear [Name of MP]
Re: Transphobia within the BBC.
Transphobia is defined by Oxford Languages as the “dislike of or prejudice against transsexual or transgender people“.
Within the period October 26th and November 3rd, 2021 the BBC has committed transphobia on two occasions.
On October 26th, the BBC’ published a story on their website entitled ‘We’re being pressured into sex by some trans women’ authored by BBC journalist Caroline Lowbridge. It has become evident that the journalist took a highly biased view, failed to research the alleged allegations correctly, and failed to reach out within the bonafide trans community to respond to the claims.
Ms Lowbridge based her story on a dubious poll from a questionable source. She took words and evidence for her article from a vile “hard porn” lesbian website, the author of which (Miss Cade) has made open death threats to trans women (this aspect has since been removed by the BBC).
Ms Lowbridge failed to mention that a trans person was interviewed for the article and her comments were ignored, which included a mention of the history and behaviour of Miss Cade. Ms Lowbridge also failed to point out that the vast majority of trans women seek medical feminisation (97%) by blocking testosterone and introducing estrogen, invariably rendering trans women neither interested nor capable of having sex.
Despite widespread protests, an open letter in complaint, which resulted in some 20,000 people signing the BBC, has (to date) refused to take any meaningful action.
On November 3rd, the BBC programme “Woman’s Hour” platformed Dr Kathleen Stock, a known gender-critical feminist who recently resigned from Sussex University. The University had backed her opinions of trans people based on the concept of “free speech” and remarkably threatened disciplinary action against students who complained about her position. It would appear the University gave the right of free speech to Dr Stock but not to the students who financially support the University.
Woman’s Hour has a long record of platforming gender-critical feminists and invariably not balancing debate – again, this was in the case on November 3rd – students voices were silenced.
Transgender people are invariably portrayed in a ‘bad light’ by the media and press. IPSO fails us as a community because we are a group of people, and they will only consider complaints by a single ‘named’ individual. This results in ever-increasing stress that people within the trans community endure.
Without question, the BBC are the countries most prominent broadcaster and is a significant contributor to transphobia – the prejudice of transgender people.
Consequently, I would ask you to follow the example of Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP (Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven) and write to the BBC’s Director-General in complaint and follow up with action within parliament.
I await your response
Yours sincerely,
