The BBC's Not Quite 100 Women List
The BBC has just published its annual 100 Women List. As we’ve come to expect, in addition to the females being celebrated, there are a couple of trans-identified males.
In 2013 the BBC pledged that it would better represent women in its international news output and launched its 100 Women List.
But only a year later this initiative was totally undermined when the list included a drag character, Conchita Wurst, the onstage persona of an Austrian man called Thomas Neuwirth.
Most years since then, even with approximately 3.905 billion females to choose from, the BBC has seen fit to include trans-identified males on a list supposedly dedicated to celebrating the achievements of just 100 women.
In 2016 The 100 Women List included trans-identified male, Seyan Arman, a DJ and entertainer from Turkey. In 2018 it featured trans-identified male, Ophelia Pastrana, “An outspoken transgender media personality” from Columbia. In 2019 it included trans-identified male, Nisha Ayub, a transgender rights campaigner from Malaysia.
In 2020 The 100 Women List included model, Lea T. Amongst all the inspirational and pioneering female scientists, teachers, sportswomen, politicians, aid workers, artists and activists etc was a trans-identified male who performs stereotypical femininity to model swimwear in Vogue and Marie Clare.
Last year The 100 Women List included two trans identified males. They were Alba Rueda, a trans activist and politician from Argentina, and Iman Le Claire, a performer and activist originally from Egypt now living in NCY.
This year’s 100 Women List has just been published and, yet again, the BBC has included two trans-identified males on it.
They are Erika Hilton, an LGBTQ+ campaigner and politician from Brazil, and Efrat Tilma, an LGBTQ+ campaigner and volunteer with the Israeli Police.
No doubt, like most of the trans-identified males included in previous years, Hilton and Tilma are brilliant campaigners and activists and more than deserving of praise and recognition. But they do not belong on a list that is intended to celebrate women.
The BBC claims that its 100 Women List is “Putting women at the front and centre of news stories”. Can it really not see that by including males, it is excluding women? Every time the BBC features a trans-identified male on its this list, it robs a woman of her place on it. A woman whose story will now not be heard.
The BBC counting to 100, is very 2+2=5.
Did Raquel Rosario Sánchez, Maya Forstater, Allison Bailey, Kathleen Stock, or any of the true female heroes of recent times get a mention?