BBC boss ‘confronted by staff’ over Strictly editing out Bethany Antonia’s trans ally T-shirt

Detailed summary

The BBC was criticised for editing a pro-trans slogan from a T-shirt worn by Bethany Antonia (Picture: BBC) BBC boss Matt Brittin reportedly answered questions from staff about…

BBC boss Matt Brittin reportedly answered questions from staff about the decision to edit out trans ally slogans, such as on Strictly Come Dancing star Bethany Antonia’s T-shirt.

During a training montage for Bethany and her partner Nancy Xu last month, the House of the Dragon actress wore a white T-shirt which originally had ‘Protect the Dolls’ written across the front, but it was blurred in the live broadcast.

‘Dolls’ is an affectionate term for trans women within the LGBTQ+ community, and the T-shirt was first designed by Conner Ives, with profits going to the charity Trans Lifeline.

The director general reportedly told BBC staff that the public service broadcaster is ‘not an anti-LGBTQ+ organisation’ after facing angry questions about such removals during a town hall meeting on Thursday.

Brittin is said to have been asked several questions about the approach to LGBTQ+ issues and content, according to a report in Deadline.

The removal of the LGBTQ+ symbols is said to have been compared with the BBC policy that news presenters wear Royal British Legion Poppy badges in the lead-up to Remembrance Day.

In one staff comment, which reportedly received over 100 upvotes in the internal conference call, they added: ‘Is this not hypocritical and suggests the BBC is an anti-LGBT organisation (and particularly the T part of LGBT)?’

Brittin is said to have responded that the BBC ‘wants to be inclusive of everyone’, according to audio obtained by Deadline.

He continued: ‘There is a challenge, I think, for an organisation which has editorial due impartiality at its heart, between how we do our journalism and reporting, and what the standards we hold our presentation of news in particular to, and the inclusive values of an organisation that is one where everyone can thrive. And sometimes those are in conflict.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Metro. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.