Woman’s Hour, Radio 4, 20 November 2024

Complaint

This edition of Woman’s Hour included an interview with a female nurse who was taking an NHS Trust to an employment tribunal for allowing a trans woman to use her changing facilities at work.  During the interview the guest was asked about the language she had used to describe her colleague in the following terms: “You talk, you use the word male, but what you mean is a trans woman colleague”.  Two listeners complained it was inappropriate for the presenter to question the language used by the guest, in terms which amounted to an expression of the presenter’s own opinion on a controversial matter.  One of the complainants also objected to the presenter’s reference to the guest’s religious views.  The ECU considered whether the broadcast met the editorial standards for impartiality set out in the BBC Editorial Guidelines.


Outcome

In the ECU’s view the presenter was examining the guest’s views rather than declaring a personal position.  The language used by the guest had not acknowledged that the individual concerned identified as a trans woman and was considered as such by the NHS Trust.  There was, therefore, an editorial justification for drawing attention to this to assist the audience’s understanding.  Similarly the reference to the guest’s religious views helped provide important context, particularly as the guest described herself as being “unapologetically a Christian”.

Not Upheld