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Author: Rachel Badham

LGBTQ+ BBC staff told to accept hearing views they disagree with: “That’s what the BBC is.”

Posted on by Rachel Badham

During a meeting between LGBTQ+ staff and BBC director Tim Davie, head of outgoing news Fran Unsworth reportedly told staff to get used to hearing and seeing views that they do “not personally like”, as “that’s what the BBC is”. Following the news that many BBC staff are resigning due to anti-LGBTQ+ ‘hostility’ within the organisation, Unsworth – who is due to leave her position in January – told meeting attendees that they should not “walk away from the conversation.”

Davie also addressed the BBC’s recent decision to withdraw from Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme, insisting that the broadcaster remains committed to making LGBTQ+ staff feel comfortable in the workplace. However, some meeting attendees argued that the BBC was “institutionally transphobic”, and that Davie “was not in a position to make decisions on this issue, because he’s not trans.”

The BBC has been accused of platforming transphobia on multiple occasions, including the recent publishing of an anti-trans article titled: “We’re being pressured into sex by some trans women”. The supposedly ‘investigative’ piece details the experience of some lesbians who say that they are “increasingly being pressured and coerced into accepting trans women as partners”, and was met with widespread backlash for spreading “myths” about the trans community. Despite the outrage caused by the article, the BBC has insisted that it was “carefully considered” and meets editorial standards. 

LGBTQ+ fostering event on November 25

Posted on by Rachel Badham

For LGBTQ+ people, couples and families interested in becoming foster carers, Brighton and Hove City Council is hosting a virtual information event on November 25 at 7 pm – 8.30 pm with experienced foster carers to answer any questions potential carers have. It will be held on Zoom and is free to register for. 

With the goal to help grow the LGBTQ+ fostering community, the session will cover a variety of topics, including the reasons children come into care and different types of fostering placements. It will also aim to “dispel the many myths that surround fostering, and all too often lead to people disqualifying themselves unnecessarily.”

Anybody interested in this free event can register online. Those with additional queries, or questions that they do not feel comfortable asking during the session, can email fosteringrecruitment@brighton-hove.gov.uk for information and advice.

Free workshops on managing and preventing anti-LGBTQ+ harassment

Posted on by Rachel Badham

Hollaback! – an organisation dedicated to ending harassment and violence – is hosting a series of free, online workshops to help attendees understand the issues LGBTQ+ people face, while also offering methods to manage and prevent harassment. With slots on November 13, 15 and 17, the one-hour-long workshops can be booked online for free, with a maximum of 5,000 people per session.

Sessions are run from an american group and start at 7pm british time. 

The sessions aim to “help people to respond to immediate threats to LGTBQ+ folks with an end goal of sustained community and systemic change, preventing and responding to violence and harassment.” By utilising the 5D’s of bystander intervention methodology, Hollaback! will teach those who attend the workshop about how to intervene without risking their own safety, so that more people are able to actively fight anti-LGBTQ+ harassment.

Anybody can register for a session online while spaces are available and you can learn more about the training and some of the ideas and techniques being discussed here

LGBTQ+ staff quitting BBC over “hostile” environment

Posted on by Rachel Badham

A 90-minute recording obtained by VICE World News revealed that LGBTQ+ BBC staff are resigning over the broadcaster’s stance on trans rights, following the publishing of an anti-trans article titled: “We’re being pressured into sex by some trans women”. During the “heated” internal meeting between queer staff members, in which many expressed concern over the BBC’s attitudes towards the trans community. 

One attendee said that they are questioning their role at the BBC, adding: “My trans and LGBTQ+ friends have lost confidence in the BBC – I’m losing confidence in the BBC – and I’m considering whether my place should be in this organisation.” Another said that they know of 8 trans people who have left their positions at the BBC as they feel the organisation is no longer “impartial”. 

Phil Harrold, who runs BBC director-general Tim Davie’s office, attended the meeting, telling staff that a follow-up session with Davie would be held soon. The VICE report comes shortly after the BBC announced its decision to withdraw from Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme, causing outrage among the LGBTQ+ community. Davie has insisted that the broadcaster remains committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion, and confirmed that it will now be working with INvolve to support LGBTQ+ staff.

Woman hospitalised after homophobic attack in London

Posted on by Rachel Badham

A 21-year-old woman was left with a broken jaw after being violently assaulted in London’s West End when she refused to give a man her phone number. According to the London Evening Standard, the woman had left a nightclub with another female in the early hours of November 1, when a “very flirty” man approached the pair. The women told the man that they were girlfriends, leading to him verbally assaulting them with homophobic slurs.

He then punched one of the women in the face, causing her facial injuries that were treated in hospital. Although the suspect has not been arrested, footage of him was recorded on CCTV, with police describing him as a tall, muscular black man who spoke with what may have been an American accent. Detective sergeant Mo Osman said it is “highly likely” that the man has approached other women in the West End area, and urged anybody with information to come forwards.

CCTV footage of the suspect: London Met Police

Figures from VICE World News have shown a stark rise in hate crime across the UK, with a 210% increase in homophobic incidents during the past six years. From 2020 to 2021,  19,679 hate crimes related to sexual orientation were recorded, with an even larger increase in transphobic hate crimes over the past six years.

2021 becomes deadliest year on record for trans Americans

Posted on by Rachel Badham

Marquiisha Lawrence, a 28-year-old Black trans woman, is the 45th known trans or gender non-conforming person to have been killed in the US this year, making it the deadliest year on record compared to the 44 recorded deaths in 2020. According to the Advocate, Lawrence was fatally shot on November 4 in Greenville, South Carolina. She was later found dead by family members. 

Following her death, Lawrence’s mother, Eboni Sinclaire, described her daughter as a “very humbled, free thinker who was loved by many”. She continued: “She will forever be remembered by her infectious smile and her heart of gold.” Although the circumstances surrounding Lawrence’s death are unclear, her mother believes it may have been a result of Lawrence “accepting who she was and living her truth.”

Tori Cooper, the Human Rights Campaign’s director of community engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative, said that Lawrence’s death marks a “tragic milestone” for the trans community in America, adding: “We must commit to honoring trans lives and ending the horrific epidemic of violence that plagues our community. Marquiisha deserved nothing less than our full commitment to building a better future for trans people.”

BBC quits Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme

Posted on by Rachel Badham

After weeks of speculation, the BBC has officially withdrawn from Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme – a scheme designed to encourage LGBTQ+ inclusion within the workplace. Confirming the decision to cut ties with Stonewall, BBC director Tim Davie sent an email to staff, explaining that the broadcaster is attempting to “minimise the risk of perceived bias”.

However, he insisted that the BBC is still committed to being “an industry-leading employer on LGBTQ+ inclusion”. Davie also announced that the broadcaster will now be working with INvolve UK to further LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace. Stonewall responded to the BBC’s decision in a statement that wrote: “This news comes in the wake of organised attacks on workplace inclusion that extend far beyond the Diversity Champions programme. It is shocking that organisations are being pressured into rolling back support for LGBTQ+ employees.”

However, it confirmed that it will still be engaging with the BBC “on a number of fronts to champion support for LGBTQ+ colleagues and to represent our communities through their reporting.” Since the BBC’s announcement, #IStandWithStonewall has been circulating on social media, with LGBTQ+ activists and advocacy groups sharing messages of support for the organisation. Stonewall also thanked those who have given donations following the news.

Anti-trans campaigners encouraging a ban on pronouns in the workplace

Posted on by Rachel Badham

In protest of certain businesses attempting to create a more inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ people, a circle of anti-trans campaigners is contacting companies anonymously to suggest a ban on pronouns in staff email signatures. An email template has been shared on Mumsnet for others to send on, in which the use of pronouns is described as a “clear political statement” that is not ‘appropriate’ in the workplace.

It continued: “I profoundly disagree with gender identity ideology. I see it as regressive, sexist and homophobic. I do not regard it as progressive in the slightest. I regard much of gender identity activism as extremely authoritarian and a threat to freedom of thought, belief, and expression, and a threat to the rights of women and girls.” It then concluded by suggesting that the company in question reconsider the use of pronouns in email signatures.

Many Mumsnet users praised the letter, with one saying: “That’s an excellent letter. Very angry (quite rightly) but clear and articulate too.” The template has also been shared on other social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Despite the aversion towards pronouns seen in the letter, a 2020 study found that using the correct name and pronouns can reduce the risk of suicidal behaviour in trans people by 59%. It also helped to reduce the prevalence of depression in trans people, with the study concluding that pronouns and chosen names are essential for the safety and inclusion of the trans community. 

You can learn more about personal pronouns and why they matter here. 

 

Home Office denies detainee HIV medication for 7 days

Posted on by Rachel Badham

The UK Home Office is facing legal action after denying an immigration detainee vital HIV medication for 7 days. The 42-year-old man, who has lived in the UK for 30 years, was awaiting deportation to Jamaica and was being held at the Colnbrook Immigration Centre where staff failed to provide him with HIV medication that reduces the viral load to undetectable and therefore untransmittable levels. 

Staff at the detention centre also lowered the medication that he took to manage schizophrenia, PTSD and depression. Speaking to the Independent, the man explained: “They haven’t given me any medication for my HIV at all despite my asking…You can’t let someone suffer the way they’re making me suffer. What else do I need to do to show them that how they’re treating me is wrong?”

 

A pre-action letter has been sent to the government by Duncan Lewis law firm, saying that the Home Office has failed to “operate a safe and lawful system for individuals with HIV in detention”, while also leaving the plaintiff at an “unacceptably high risk of contracting Covid-19” on the scheduled charter flight. The Home Office now has until Monday to respond to the letter.

The government has been accused of neglecting those with HIV on multiple occasions. Earlier this year, the Home Office faced backlash after failing to provide HIV medication to an asylum seeker, which the court later ruled as a breach of human rights. The court also found that “there is no sign of any relevant training being provided to immigration officers” in terms of supporting those living with HIV. 

 

Lesbian couple launch case against NHS over IVF discrimination

Posted on by Rachel Badham

Megan and Whitney Bacon-Evans, a married lesbian couple known for their YouTube channel with over 50,000 subscribers, have launched a landmark legal case against the fertility sector of the NHS after they were made to pay “gay tax” to become eligible for IVF treatment. The couple has described the case as “the most important thing we’ve possibly ever done.”

According to The Guardian, the pair have argued that the Frimley clinical commissioning group (CCG) is financially discriminating against them on accord of their sexuality. Frimley’s current regulations mean that same-sex female couples and single people with wombs must pay for 12 IVF treatments to “prove” medical infertility, costing over £30,000, before receiving NHS assistance. 

Instagram: @whatwegandidnext

On the contrary, heterosexual couples need to try to concieve for two years before receiving NHS fertility support. Sharing the details of the case on Instagram, the couple wrote: “We’re doing this for every LGBTQ+ couple who had to give up on their hopes and dreams of creating a family. If found to be unlawful, this could positively impact the lives of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of LGBTQ+ people embarking on their path to parenthood.”

Megan and Whitney are working with top UK law firm, Leigh Day Law, to bring about legal action. It has not yet been confirmed when the case will be heard in court, and the plaintiffs are currently in the process of raising legal funds to support their lawyers.

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