LAST year, when I complained to the BBC about its promotion of gender ideology, particularly to schoolchildren via a particular ‘BBC Bitesize’ article, I got an insouciant denial – breathtaking in its speciousness – for my pains.
I wanted to know why BBC Bitesize would want to teach our kids that ‘Non-binary is an umbrella term for people who don’t fit comfortably into “male” or “female” categories.’
I wondered why BBC Bitesize would want to introduce school children to supposedly ‘modern’ pronouns: ‘These include: Ne (Ne/nem/nir) Ve (Ve/vis/vir) Ze (Ze/zem/zir). And a set of pronouns known as ‘spivak’ (ey, em, eir).’
And I’d shuddered to see the BBC giving these as examples of healthy conversation between schoolchildren: ‘I noticed you have “x-e” on your profile and I want to make sure I am pronouncing that right.’ ‘I heard you say you’re now using “ze/zir” pronouns and I want to make sure I’m using them correctly. Can you give me an example in a sentence?’
Well, the Bitesize Complaints team batted my concerns away. They had, after all, worked with Stonewall: ‘On occasion – as we have with Stonewall on this article – we have worked with experts to ensure that our content is factually accurate.’ Nevertheless, to assuage my concerns over impartiality, they informed me that they’d updated the article with a link to a further LGBT charity – Just Like Us, whose chief executive is, you’ve guessed it, ex-Stonewall.
I wish I was making it up. You can see the full letter of response to me here.
Now once more, the BBC proves itself impervious to criticism or concern, so wrapped are they in this ideology. Over a year ago, the Times alerted readers to a ‘BBC Teach’ piece which aggressively pushed gender ideology at schoolchildren. We wrote about it here.
In the BBC video, a child asks: ‘What is the difference between sex and gender?’ An adult responds: ‘Sex would be the body parts that you are born with . . . Gender would be who you are on the inside.’ Another boy asks: ‘What are the different gender identities?’ An adult says: ‘D’you know, that’s a really really exciting question to ask!’ (Hey, kids – it’s cool to navel-gaze about what gender you might be!) An adult goes on to tell children that there are more than 100 gender identities . . . some people identify as a combo of these. Geddit, kids?
People have been complaining to the BBC about this clip for well over a year. Some are parents whose children have been caught up in the cult; children who, as we speak, have begun suppressing their puberty, taking cross-sex hormones, booking in to have their breasts removed, their penises withered.
Sarah Vine wrote again about this same clip in the Daily Mail last weekend, catalysing more complaints from the public.
And suddenly, it was gone!
But how defiantly. This from the BBC: ‘We are aware that this particular film is being wilfully misinterpreted by parts of the media and others on social media. As such its original purpose and intention has been overshadowed. On this basis we have made the decision to retire the film . . . We will continue to support teachers on this important topic in other ways.’
No second thoughts there then. When your ideology is so unanchored from science and reason, so impossible to defend or explain, you resort to describing ‘accurately reported’ as ‘wilfully misinterpreted’. And fail to explain how, because, of course, you can’t. Meanwhile our children continue to be sucked into this tragic ideology. As we continue to pay for the BBC’s next round of promotion.
The situation is not acceptable. The responsible minister, Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, needs to act.
