Statement to the BBC regarding Stonewall
Over the last few months, the BBC has made several troubling and dangerous decisions in regards to so-called ‘impartiality’ regarding LGBTQIA+ people. This began with the BBC’s new impartiality guidelines, which were introduced a few months after the appointment of Tim Davie. Mr Davie, a former chairman of a local branch of the Conservative Party, has allegedly said in private that he planned to “rid the BBC of biased left-wing comedy,” (Daily Express, 2021).
The guidelines state that staff whose job requires impartiality “don’t express a personal opinion on matters of public policy, politics, or ‘controversial subjects’”. These guidelines seemingly included not voicing support for trans/queer rights . By framing these as a ‘controversial topic’, the BBC is lending legitimacy to the idea that LGBTQIA+ rights and lives are up for debate, as opposed to being protected human rights under threat from outsiders.
Following this, the BBC announced that it is withdrawing the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme, which promotes workplace equality for LGBTQIA+ employees. In doing so, the BBC has not only stripped its own LGBTQIA+ staff of protections, but has sent the message that striving for workplace equality is incompatible with its objectives of balance and impartiality. This blatantly false and does not take into consideration the considerable power imbalance already facing queer journalists and the lack of visibility around LGBTQIA+ lives and experiences in news media, coupled with existing prejudices including cis-heteronormativity.
The BBC has since gone further, releasing an 11 part series “expose” on Stonewall and its employability scheme. This series, by Stephen Nolan on BBC Sounds, employs hyperbole language, leading graphics and music, and biased sources to create a demonising narrative regarding Stonewall. In doing so, the BBC seems to be encouraging other employers to withdraw from the scheme, further removing support of LGBTQIA+ employees across the country.
Given the shocking increase in the rate of hatecrimes against LGBTQIA+ people (“sexual orientation hate crimes rose by 19% to 15,835, and transgender identity hate crimes by 16% to 2,540 — averaging more than 50 reports each day.” The Guardian, 2021), the BBC’s demonisation of the UK’s largest LGBTQIA+ charity can be seen as nothing other than contributing to an environment of prejudice and violence against an already vulnerable minority (LGB people only make up 2.2% of the population, with the trans community representing an even smaller percentage).
The BBC must investigate its anti-LGBTQIA+ bias, including how the views of top level executives and senior staff members may have contributed to a culture and output which abets prejudice, discrimination and violence.
