There's a BBC charter renewal due in the next few years.
We could (if we got our act together) insist that that requires the removal of those toads inserted in the BBC management structure by Johnson (remember him?) to ensure permanent loyalty to some political grouping that's already self-destructed (were they called the tarrys?).
At the same time, we could also deal with the question of defining "balance" and "impartiality". It can't be beyond the wit of someone to write a subsection saying that not every issue is binary, so you don't have to find someone who thinks the world is flat every time you discuss the way satellites orbit the planet.
And of course we could also insist that they cease allowing the gutter press (in which I include the Times & the Telegraph) to set the news agenda. They have tiny sales these days. There's no reason to take them at all seriously.
And yes, the trans debate does seem to echo the debates around Section 28. I too thought we'd moved on from that, and in my experience, most people have. But the great & the good of the gutter press (Murdoch, Rothermere, Marshall of GB News) think they can take us back to the "good old days" when they could hack phones & gather salacious gossip about stupid people, and make massive profits.
There was a good Guardian piece this morning about that Intersex film, The Secret of Me. Not seen it myself yet, I believe we have a preview screening coming up soon at work.
I desperately want to drag the SEEN crowd along to at least get the thin end of the wedge inserted about their fixation over sexual binaryism, assigned sex, sexual identity, 'biological' sex...
Once that one is won, then we can start to have the conversation about how "Well, it's binary if it's working *normally* ..." applies to individual people in the real world.
I'm happy to meet them half way, even if it means dragging them <strike>up</strike> over, sorry, kicking and screaming.
Thank you for putting this so much better than I could. As the parent of a gay child - and a gay child with cPTSD - I am fearful for her every day. I wear a smart watch not because give a flying f*ck about how many steps I've done but because I am terrified I will miss that call when she says she can't take it anymore and I can't persuade her that if she doesn't turn up for tomorrow then she will never know how much better tomorrow might have been. That's becoming a difficult argument though, to be fair. As a parent, should that really be my life. As a gay woman, should that be hers? Where will it stop? There are already morons in the States, a place that takes moronicness (is that a word) to whole new levels, intent on removing the vote from women, building their own Gilead and other such horrors. Why are the supposed 'normal' people so obsessed with what people have in their pants? It doesn't sound normal to me. And the idea that impartiality means one side having to justify their existence and the other calmly explaining why the have no right to exist gives me the dry heaves. Just stop! Please...
Thank you Bear for saying this and putting it in such a clear way. This issue is incredibly central in my life right now. Every day I have a conversation with my daughter about the way this country is developing and what she (and perhaps also I) may have to do about it in terms of relocation. We’ve started down the road of getting her GRC & our solicitor (who specialises in this area) confirmed that having a plan B was in fact a good idea. That was incredibly sobering. It’s not just my almost 20yo saying this but our actual grown up solicitor! Wtaf?! Her future, and mine, suddenly look very uncertain, and it’s absolutely terrifying.
Well said, Bear. Of course, none of this should need to be said, but -- sadly -- it does, and it needs to be said again and again. And increasingly loudly. The intolerance and hatred had never gone away entirely, but the miasma seeping across the ocean is being energetically spread by a self-interested, entitled Right in this country and not being decisively blown away and dispersed by our public institutions, especially the press,
When I was about 14 (a long time ago - I'm a boomer) I took my best mate from school with me to visit my gay uncle in his newly bought house. When we walked in he and his partner were kissing in the kitchen. My friend Kathy went white as a sheet and rushed to the toilet to throw up. She had met him before and knew he was gay but seeing his sexuality in real life as it were triggered a visceral reaction. That was the day I chose to terminate our friendship and ghosted her from there on in. Was I wrong? Maybe so but bugger it. I'd do the same thing again in a heartbeat. Life is too short to clutter it up with small minds.
Yes. I think the gap between I feel uncomfortable and these people should not exist has narrowed, so that the feeling is seen to justify the action. Equally with people seeking asylum. Asserting common humanity has become a political.stance - well, I guess it always was, but more acutely.
Bloody well said. And as the mother of queer children, one of whom is autistic, I know that when the haters are appeased they don't stop. They just go after another group.
As a left-handed disabled woman I definitely demand my right to exist and not have my worth measured in how useful I am to the economy (or not) and I also retain the right to moan that the world was designed for right-handed, able-bodied men.
Seriously, though, Bear, it must be freaking exhausting having to go through this again and again and again. Your life is inherently worthy and other people’s discomfort does not outweigh your right to a private life. I honestly don’t care who you love. Just that you are loved and love in return and you both treat each other well.
Both sides-ism is not impartiality. If it’s raining, tell us it’s raining. Don’t give the microphone to someone who thinks the rain is a collective hallucination and makes us question our reality.
"Marriage has for centuries been understood as between one man and one woman. That forms the foundation of everything in our society, ..."
Yes, it has been understood in those terms for centuries .... by certain cultures. Others don't give two hoots. Even the Bible has plenty of examples of major figures who were quite happy to embrace polygamy. Christians might argue that those examples are from the first few books of the Bible and are superseded by much that followed it. Even so, it's there in print.
Forms the foundation of everything? Really? Our legal system is based on the idea of heterosexual monogamy? Bevan formed his vision of the NHS based on the notion that a fella would always have a missus waiting at home to serve his supper? Premier League football would not exist without the traditional Marriage vows?
(Okay, Iratus, I know you were channelling the irrational, hyper-bigoted Karen-ry of our modern age. Please excuse me channelling the utterly fed-up, wanting to get on to more important things, no longer willing to control my sarcasm, middle-aged Brit who suffers an excess of disdain for all things Farage).
There's a BBC charter renewal due in the next few years.
We could (if we got our act together) insist that that requires the removal of those toads inserted in the BBC management structure by Johnson (remember him?) to ensure permanent loyalty to some political grouping that's already self-destructed (were they called the tarrys?).
At the same time, we could also deal with the question of defining "balance" and "impartiality". It can't be beyond the wit of someone to write a subsection saying that not every issue is binary, so you don't have to find someone who thinks the world is flat every time you discuss the way satellites orbit the planet.
And of course we could also insist that they cease allowing the gutter press (in which I include the Times & the Telegraph) to set the news agenda. They have tiny sales these days. There's no reason to take them at all seriously.
And yes, the trans debate does seem to echo the debates around Section 28. I too thought we'd moved on from that, and in my experience, most people have. But the great & the good of the gutter press (Murdoch, Rothermere, Marshall of GB News) think they can take us back to the "good old days" when they could hack phones & gather salacious gossip about stupid people, and make massive profits.
I do hope they're wrong.
There was a good Guardian piece this morning about that Intersex film, The Secret of Me. Not seen it myself yet, I believe we have a preview screening coming up soon at work.
I desperately want to drag the SEEN crowd along to at least get the thin end of the wedge inserted about their fixation over sexual binaryism, assigned sex, sexual identity, 'biological' sex...
Once that one is won, then we can start to have the conversation about how "Well, it's binary if it's working *normally* ..." applies to individual people in the real world.
I'm happy to meet them half way, even if it means dragging them <strike>up</strike> over, sorry, kicking and screaming.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/12/intersex-campaigners-fighting-to-limit-surgery-on-children?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Thank you for putting this so much better than I could. As the parent of a gay child - and a gay child with cPTSD - I am fearful for her every day. I wear a smart watch not because give a flying f*ck about how many steps I've done but because I am terrified I will miss that call when she says she can't take it anymore and I can't persuade her that if she doesn't turn up for tomorrow then she will never know how much better tomorrow might have been. That's becoming a difficult argument though, to be fair. As a parent, should that really be my life. As a gay woman, should that be hers? Where will it stop? There are already morons in the States, a place that takes moronicness (is that a word) to whole new levels, intent on removing the vote from women, building their own Gilead and other such horrors. Why are the supposed 'normal' people so obsessed with what people have in their pants? It doesn't sound normal to me. And the idea that impartiality means one side having to justify their existence and the other calmly explaining why the have no right to exist gives me the dry heaves. Just stop! Please...
What you’ve said really resonates with me - huge hugs & solidarity 🫂. And yes, ‘moronicness’ is now a word, officially.
What happened to live and let live. When did that become a bad idea.
Thank you Bear for saying this and putting it in such a clear way. This issue is incredibly central in my life right now. Every day I have a conversation with my daughter about the way this country is developing and what she (and perhaps also I) may have to do about it in terms of relocation. We’ve started down the road of getting her GRC & our solicitor (who specialises in this area) confirmed that having a plan B was in fact a good idea. That was incredibly sobering. It’s not just my almost 20yo saying this but our actual grown up solicitor! Wtaf?! Her future, and mine, suddenly look very uncertain, and it’s absolutely terrifying.
Disabled people in the UK have their rights to participate in society questioned every day of their lives.
This is also true and is just as appalling. My daughter is also autistic had faces challenges on this front every day as well.
But but but…what about gay left handed homosexuals?
I’ve heard that PSHE lessons in schools can’t be considered ‘outstanding’ without some reference to their (potentially) link to satanism.
O.M.F.G.
Why can’t folk just exist 🤬🤷🏻♀️🙄😭
Sadly, a great piece. If this doesn’t resonate with the media bigots and hypocrisy of the church, I don’t know what does.
Well said, Bear. Of course, none of this should need to be said, but -- sadly -- it does, and it needs to be said again and again. And increasingly loudly. The intolerance and hatred had never gone away entirely, but the miasma seeping across the ocean is being energetically spread by a self-interested, entitled Right in this country and not being decisively blown away and dispersed by our public institutions, especially the press,
When I was about 14 (a long time ago - I'm a boomer) I took my best mate from school with me to visit my gay uncle in his newly bought house. When we walked in he and his partner were kissing in the kitchen. My friend Kathy went white as a sheet and rushed to the toilet to throw up. She had met him before and knew he was gay but seeing his sexuality in real life as it were triggered a visceral reaction. That was the day I chose to terminate our friendship and ghosted her from there on in. Was I wrong? Maybe so but bugger it. I'd do the same thing again in a heartbeat. Life is too short to clutter it up with small minds.
Yes. I think the gap between I feel uncomfortable and these people should not exist has narrowed, so that the feeling is seen to justify the action. Equally with people seeking asylum. Asserting common humanity has become a political.stance - well, I guess it always was, but more acutely.
Bloody well said. And as the mother of queer children, one of whom is autistic, I know that when the haters are appeased they don't stop. They just go after another group.
Thank you Bear and so well put. This means a huge amount to me.
Really great piece, thank you.
TL;DR Binary doesn't cut it anymore.
And I think you meant a bottle of wine OLDER, not younger.
And if you have a bottle of wine that's older, you're doing wine wrong.
Not if it's red wine he's not. Except for Beaujolais of course which doesn't get better with age.
If you never drink it, how does it get better?
That's like Schrödinger's cask.
As a left-handed disabled woman I definitely demand my right to exist and not have my worth measured in how useful I am to the economy (or not) and I also retain the right to moan that the world was designed for right-handed, able-bodied men.
Seriously, though, Bear, it must be freaking exhausting having to go through this again and again and again. Your life is inherently worthy and other people’s discomfort does not outweigh your right to a private life. I honestly don’t care who you love. Just that you are loved and love in return and you both treat each other well.
Both sides-ism is not impartiality. If it’s raining, tell us it’s raining. Don’t give the microphone to someone who thinks the rain is a collective hallucination and makes us question our reality.
"Marriage has for centuries been understood as between one man and one woman. That forms the foundation of everything in our society, ..."
Yes, it has been understood in those terms for centuries .... by certain cultures. Others don't give two hoots. Even the Bible has plenty of examples of major figures who were quite happy to embrace polygamy. Christians might argue that those examples are from the first few books of the Bible and are superseded by much that followed it. Even so, it's there in print.
Forms the foundation of everything? Really? Our legal system is based on the idea of heterosexual monogamy? Bevan formed his vision of the NHS based on the notion that a fella would always have a missus waiting at home to serve his supper? Premier League football would not exist without the traditional Marriage vows?
(Okay, Iratus, I know you were channelling the irrational, hyper-bigoted Karen-ry of our modern age. Please excuse me channelling the utterly fed-up, wanting to get on to more important things, no longer willing to control my sarcasm, middle-aged Brit who suffers an excess of disdain for all things Farage).