The BBC has made controversial changes to its sexual orientation section.
The BBC Are at It Again
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has been embroiled in controversy yet again, as its recent diversity survey sparked ridicule and criticism among its staff. Here’s the whole story.
The diversity survey circulated among staff from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), a group of BBC-funded journalists working in regional news organizations, omitted the category ‘heterosexual’ under the sexual orientation section.
Instead, the options provided included ‘bi/bisexual’, ‘lesbian/gay woman’, ‘gay man’, ‘other sexual orientation’, and ‘prefer not to say’.
This glaring omission sparked backlash, as it seemingly implied that heterosexual orientation was not worth acknowledging.
“Spot the Missing Option”
Confused and amused LDRS staffers took to social media to express their bewilderment at the oversight.
LDRS reporter Jamie Shapiro posted an image of the question, asking followers to “spot the missing option.”
Although the BBC acknowledged the error, it failed to rectify the situation adequately.
Instead of issuing an amended survey, the LDRS advised staff who had not filled out the survey to tick the ‘other sexual orientation’ box.
… It Undermines the Significance of Heterosexuality
This move raised eyebrows, as it undermined the significance of heterosexuality as a valid sexual orientation.
Gareth Johnson, Conservative Member of Parliament for Dartford, criticized the oversight, saying,
“This is quite an oversight. All that money is spent on diversity officers and they overlook the fact that some people are straight. Remarkable really!”
This incident is not an isolated case within the BBC’s history.
It Equated Gender-Critical Beliefs With Antisemitism
The organization has faced several controversies related to its approach to diversity.
In 2021, the BBC withdrew from Stonewall’s Diversity Champions program after the charity’s CEO equated gender-critical beliefs with antisemitism.
The BBC’s decision to quit the diversity program with Stonewall was considered an embarrassing climb down, especially given the organization’s efforts to promote inclusivity.
Several social media users expressed their thoughts on the incident.
“As It Should Be… Such Nonsense and Very Invasive… Whatever Happened to Privacy and What Has It Got To Do With the Workplace…”
One Twitter user wrote, “As it should be… such nonsense and very invasive… whatever happened to privacy and what has it got to do with the workplace…..”
Another user wrote, “Are there no laws in the UK designed to stop people being marginalized on the basis of so-called “protected characteristics”?”
The post BBC’s Shocking Omission – ‘Straight’ No Longer an Option in Diversity Survey?” first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Primakov. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Daily Mail