by A BBC social media account has hidden tweets saying “people can’t change sex” and “sex is unchangeable” in response to a Doctor Who episode.
Transgender character Rose Noble, played by transgender Yasmin Finney, first appeared in a special 60th anniversary episode of the sci-fi show.
Although Finney’s performance was widely praised, the BBC received 144 complaints from viewers who claimed the scriptwriters’ inclusion of the character was “inappropriate”.
The national broadcaster was asked to allow fans of the show to “respectfully disagree” after the official X account for Doctor Who, run by BBC Studios, the corporation’s commercial arm, deleted dozens of posts in response to a clip featuring Finney talking. about the new role.
Finney was heard saying: “She’s a new character, she’s fresh, she’s this young, young person who has so much confidence… It’s the portrayal that I’ve never had, that a lot of the younger generation will have , so it’s very exciting.”
Posts from viewers hidden by the account – meaning they are only visible in ‘hidden replies’ on the platform – included “Why is this show anti-woman? People can’t change sex”, and “My partner, a biologist, says that sex is unassignable and binary… Stop flirting with us”.
Another post read: “The BBC [is] pushing ‘TQ+’ for all it’s worth. A publicly funded broadcaster should not be so ideologically oriented. #DefundTheBBC.”
‘Very inappropriate’
Brendan Clarke-Smith, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, said: “If they are going to start making sane statements about sex and gender they should expect people to disagree respectfully online.
“They shouldn’t be doctoring their social media accounts to dispel any kind of negative comments. People grew up with Doctor Who and want to see the real McCoy, not a wake-up call.
“It is ironic that the Cybermen – or Cybermen as they would probably be called now – were used to turn people into cybermen and to remove their emotions and personalities. Today this would probably qualify them for a job at the BBC.”
Maya Forstater, executive director of the campaign group Sex Matters, noted that the guidelines for moderating the BBC’s social media accounts state that moderation should be a “light touch” and focus on personal attacks and offensive language.
“Why, then, is the BBC’s official account actively hiding factual comments stating biological truths, such as that people cannot change sex?” said Miss Forstater.
“Decades of pandering and investing in trans activist organizations have resulted in the infiltration of a harmful gender identity ideology throughout the BBC, and this is seen in everything from news and current affairs to children’s programmes.
“It is highly inappropriate for a taxpayer-funded national broadcaster with a statutory duty to be impartial in policing the views of an ideologically driven extremist in charge of a fringe account.”
‘Full of hate and full of venom’
Episodes of the show included Rose’s character referring to “something a male Time Lord will never understand”, revisiting Catherine Tate’s use of the word “binary” in a 2008 episode in the context of a reference to heaven. -binary.
When The Doctor, who was in the episode with David Tennant, said of an alien “I promise I can help him get home”, Rose was also heard to respond: “Do you assume ‘he’ is a pronoun?”
In a statement in response to complaints about the character, the BBC insisted that Doctor Who “has and will always continue to proudly celebrate diversity and reflect the world we live in”.
Russell T Davies, who rejoined the show after quitting in 2009, said those who objected to Finney’s casting were “full of hate and venom and destruction and violence”, adding: “Shame on you, and good luck in your life. lonely lives.”
Finney previously said: “Any franchise that’s running [for] years and you get a black trans woman playing the role, people will have their opinions.
“It’s so funny because when I get a hateful comment, it’s like: ‘Your acting was so bad I hate trans people’. Okay, you had one opinion, but then when you attach my identity to it, it’s unfair.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “Like many organizations and brands, all social media channels managed by BBC Studios, including Doctor Who, have moderation processes in place to hide harmful or offensive language. We keep the criteria and guidelines for moderation under constant review.”
