BBC More or Less examines evidence on trans women in sport

[TheSnappyHelper]

An excellent episode of More or Less: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0n6gnpr

Statistical analysis and exploration of what the scientific studies into trans women/biological males in women's sport have ACTUALLY found (rather than just the misleading headlines of 'it's fair').

I'm actually really surprised/encouraged at the language they've used! No way it would have been reported like this two years ago.

Yes this was excellent! A real breath of fresh air on the BBC

It's good to see that since the Stonewall stranglehold has been eased and the BBC has been forced to recognise their previous bias (to a certain extent), they are finally producing more balanced coverage.
Chilling to think that this would never have been allowed a couple of years ago.

Yay I've been waiting for the excellent More or Less to find the balls/be allowed to address the massive elephant in the room. Next up, male, female and male TW sex offending rates, and "transgender brains being more like their assumed gender" please.

That was mid March wasn't it? And IIRC was only released as a podcast, not broadcast on R4. Unless it’s been broadcast since, and that’s why it’s being discussed again?

I hope so, but I’m not sure.

It’s an improvement from the BBC’s usual performance, and perhaps is something of a balloon being sent up to see what reaction it gets. There was another example recently when Feedback covered Woman’s Hour having a TW on to discuss misogyny: the first week, listeners’ reactions were massively against having a transidentifying man, and the BBC being completely tone deaf as usual, and then the week after, there was a follow up with all the trans activists writing in to defend the poor oppressed TIM.

Of course.

So it’s all very much one step forward two steps back still.

To be fair, More or Less have been very sensible about this for a long time. They did a piece a few years ago about the "trans people more at risk of violence and murder than anyone else" and uncovered that that was only true of Brazilian sex workers in a very specific area of Brazil. I was amazed that they'd done that segment because it really was at a time where every other mention of trans people on the BBC was glorious brave rainbows, but they had the facts and figures and were happy to broadcast them.

Compare to 2022:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/61346517
and 2021

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/57989022

Do you think this is to do with the new head of the BBC

Loyal listeners will remember that More or Less is not afraid of facts

Is that you Tim?

Haha
i I would love to understand and present stats like he does

it was an interesting podcast . I quite liked how scathing the presenter was about the volleyball comparison. It’s interesting that it proves positive to the female difference only when you compared female pro athletes with older amateur transwomen . Some longitudinal studies would be handy… shame lia Thomas and Veronica ivy probably wouldn’t get on board. They don’t dare have the truth be proved

They also did an excellent episode on the prevalence of DSD. I'm very much a loyal listener.

The 10 minute More or Less episodes are broadcast on BBC World Service.

I need to track that one down

More or less was pretty much the only thing that kept me sane during Covid. It felt like the one voice of reason and calm
(I did also appreciate Janey Godley)

I think a lot of people who are "be kind" about the trans issue aren't actually mired in the ideology or the activism (and IME tend to hold a few distinctly terfy opinions without realising it).

A person like this might see the statistics as the good news that it actually is. Just as one might celebrate research showing improved attitudes towards gay marriage.

It takes a willfully blind ideologue or an activist with nefarious intent to take issue with that research.

Here you go

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000222z

No. Programmes take ages to research and make. If it was broadcast in March they will have started the process months beforehand.

What can be the reason for this , I haven't seen a L drag queen being interviewed on his thoughts about current affairs recently either .

This was 2 days ago.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2026/the-dickie-show-smoggie-queens-spin-off

That sucks,

best show on Radio

@ArtShow haha I wish I was Tim! What a guy.

@InSlovakiaTheCapitalOfCourseIsBratislava you made me laugh - loyal listeners! I am one, I love it.