Watch: BBC presenter corrects ‘pregnant people' to ‘women'
Martine Croxall, a BBC News presenter, appeared to reject gender-neutral language during a live broadcast.
The news anchor was reading a report from a teleprompter about advice for vulnerable people during heatwaves when she used the term 'pregnant people'.
Immediately afterwards, Croxall added with emphasis: 'Women'.
The apparent correction, during a broadcast on Saturday lunchtime, was endorsed by JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author and gender campaigner, who posted a clip of the incident on X, the social media platform.
'I have a new favourite BBC presenter,' she commented.
The gender-neutral term 'pregnant people' is used by activists who believe biological women who may be pregnant can be men, if they identify as such.
The NHS has been criticised for using terms like 'pregnant people' and 'birthing person' instead of 'women' in order to be more inclusive of gender self-identification.
The BBC has no specific policy on the use of gender-neutral terms but does stipulate that journalists should refer to people using the pronouns of their preferred gender, rather than referring to their biological sex.
The BBC News style guide advises editorial staff that: 'A person born male who lives as a female, would typically be described as a 'transgender woman' and would take the pronoun 'she'. And vice versa. We generally use the term and pronoun preferred by the person in question.'
BBC under fire over trans coverage
In April, a story about the death of Jiggly Caliente, a transgender drag queen, referred to the late performer as 'she' throughout, in accordance with the current guidance.
However, the policy has been cast into doubt following the Supreme Court ruling in April that women are defined by their biological gender, not self-identified gender. The BBC is assessing the implication of the ruling for its news coverage.
A statement from the broadcaster in April said: 'In our news reporting, we always aim to deal with issues fairly and impartially and this is informed by our editorial guidelines.'
Last week, Rowling claimed the BBC could no longer be trusted to report on transgender issues after it failed to report that a women-only housing development would be open to biological men.
She wrote on X: 'It's not women-only. Men will be accommodated there if they say they're women.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘Please don't ask': why the US kept the UK out of the raids on Iran's nuclear sites
The US did not ask to use UK airbases to support its overnight bombing of Iran because that would have required British ministers to take a view on the legality of the attack, according to a former government adviser. Lord Ricketts, a former UK national security chief, said he believed the US concluded it was better not to ask to launch B-2 bombers from the RAF base of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean than to be told no. 'Either the Americans worked it out, or were privately told please don't ask, because it would raise fundamental questions about our taking part,' Ricketts said. 'The US has a different view on international law than the UK does.' On Sunday morning, Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, said that 'no request was made' by the US for help in the bombing. No British airbases or any other military assets were involved in Operation Midnight Hammer, ministers added. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, said the UK had been 'given due notice' of President Donald Trump's intention to bomb Iran, though it is unclear how far in advance this may have been of the bombing raid that took place just before midnight UK time. Officials said notification occurred 'shortly before' the US strikes were launched. In the past, Britain has been eager to act as the US's principal military ally in the Middle East, most notably in 2003 when the UK participated in the controversial ground invasion of Iraq when Tony Blair, then the prime minister, sought to work closely with former president George W Bush. But on this occasion the UK has largely acted as a bystander and has not always appeared to read the ultimate intentions of the US president, who is notoriously unpredictable. Last Tuesday at the G7 summit in Banff, Canada from which Trump departed early because of the Iran crisis, Starmer said there was 'nothing the president said that suggests that he's about to get involved in this conflict', having sat next to him at dinner the previous evening. Those present said that the prime minister seemed confident, even unequivocal in his analysis of the situation. After the summit, reports circulated that the government's most senior lawyer, Richard Hermer, was unconvinced that any UK military involvement in attacking Iran would be legal. One official who had seen Hermer's legal advice told the Spectator 'the AG has concerns about the UK playing any role in this except for defending our allies'. B-2 bombers frequently use the RAF base at Diego Garcia, which is a shorter flight over water to Iran but, as is the case with the use of all UK bases by the US air force, it would require British permission. Similar authorisation would be needed for the US to use RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus for refuelling, though that too was not sought. A graphic released by the Pentagon showed seven B-2 bombers flying from their home base at Whiteman, Missouri across the Atlantic and avoiding passing over European countries by flying over the strait of Gibraltar and through the Mediterranean before going on to Iran via Israel, Jordan and Iraq, a flight path of more than 8,000 miles. Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, said on Sunday morning that 'no other country on planet Earth' could have conducted the bombing raid on Iran, which he later emphasised 'was US operated and US led'. Only assistance from Israel was acknowledged by Gen Dan Caine, the US chair of the joint chiefs of staff, in the former of prior attacks to degrade Iranian air defences. Under international law, a country is allowed to fight in self-defence and the prevailing view is that pre-emptive military strikes are legal if it is believed an incoming military threat is imminent – though the US argues the right of self-defence applies broadly against any illegal use of force against itself or its allies. In justifying the bombing raid on Sunday, Hegseth did not mention the question of imminence. He said: 'The president authorised a precision operation to neutralise the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear programme and the collective self-defence of our troops and our ally Israel.' 'I think to a certain degree the UK government will be relieved' that the US did not ask for help, said Matthew Savill, a former civil servant now with the Royal United Services Institute thinktank. But he cautioned that, despite that, the UK 'could get sucked into the regional blowback' in the form of attacks by Iran or its proxies. On Sunday, UK defence officials said that additional steps had been taken to protect British forces in the Middle East after the US bombing. Force protection at sites such as Akrotiri in Cyprus – where at least 14 Typhoon fighters are stationed – and naval bases in Oman and Bahrain were at the 'highest level,' the defence secretary, John Healey, said. Starmer called for restraint in the response to US strikes on Iran, warning of the possibility of escalation beyond the Middle East. The prime minister spoke to the king of Jordan and the sultan of Oman and called for talks that would end the threat posed by Iran's nuclear programme. 'It is important that we now de-escalate the situation, stabilise the region and get the parties back around the table to negotiate,' he told broadcasters on Sunday morning. 'I'm very clear in my own mind that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon that is the greatest threat to stability in the region.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Palestine Action member hits out at ‘absurd' government ban plan
A Palestine Action member has described the UK government's plan to proscribe the group as a terrorist organisation as "absurd." Saeed Taji Farouky, the member, stated that such a move would undermine fundamental principles of British democracy and the rule of law. The home secretary is expected to address Parliament on Monday regarding the potential proscription of Palestine Action. This development follows an incident where Palestine Action activists breached RAF Brize Norton, spraying two planes with red paint. Farouky justified the group's actions as an "escalation in tactics" aimed at disrupting the "material supply chain to genocide," while Israel denies genocide allegations. Watch the video above.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
JK Rowling praises BBC newsreader Martine Croxall for refusing to say ‘pregnant people' live on air
AUTHOR JK Rowling has praised BBC newsreader Martine Croxall after she refused to refer to "pregnant people" live on air. The Harry Potter writer, 59, joked that she had a "new favourite BBC presenter" after Martine overruled her autocue which referred to "pregnant people" being at risk during the recent hot weather. 4 4 JK Rowling has been a prominent women's rights campaigner and has often been vocal on what she calls "sex-based rights" for several years. In the clip from a recent BBC News show, Martine introduces comments from new research about the number of heat-related deaths expected during the ongoing hot weather period. However, as she reads along the autocue, she raises an eyebrow and smirks at the camera after having to say "pregnant people" could be at risk in the heat. She then quickly overrides this, saying "women" instead, before moving on with the rest of the script. Martine read: "Malcolm Mistry, who was involved in the research, said the aged, pregnant people - women! - and those with pre-existing health conditions need to take precautions." Reposting the clip on X, JK Rowling praised the BBC presenter, saying she was her "new favourite". It is understood that the term "pregnant people" had been written by the researchers and was being quoted, rather than the BBC having written the phrase. Other commenters also jumped in to praise "brilliant" Martine, with one saying: "I hope you don't get hauled before the BBC News break." In response, Martine joked: "Braced x". Martine has been a veteran broadcaster for the BBC, having first joined the company more than 30 years ago in 1991. USA Gymnastics Reconsiders Trans Athlete Policy Amid Biles-Gaines Feud She then began working for the BBC News team in 2001. This comes just weeks after the same presenter challenged a transgender activist who questioned whether the definition of a woman could be determined by biological sex. While interviewing ex-Labour MSP candidate Heather Herbert, following the Supreme Court's ruling that the term women referred to one's biological sex, Martine found herself in a heated debate. JK Rowling in bitter spat with Boy George as singer calls her 'rich bored bully' over trans rights JK Rowling has blasted Boy George for calling her a 'rich bored bully' – pointing out he once served time for whipping a male escort with a chain. The Harry Potter author posted a furious response on X after the Culture Club singer waded into a spat with another user who claimed Ms Rowling was 'the person maybe most responsible for the push to take away trans rights'. When Ms Rowling asked the X user 'which rights have been taken away from trans people?', Boy George responded: 'The right to be left alone by a rich bored bully!' Ms Rowling posted a lengthy rebuttal in which she accused the Karma Chameleon singer, whose real name is George O'Dowd, of sneering at 'unenlightened plebs' who reject the notion that trans women are women. She added: 'I've never been given 15 months for handcuffing a man to a wall and beating him with a chain.' Boy George was jailed in 2009 for handcuffing an escort to his bed and inflicting 'wholly gratuitous violence' at a property in Shoreditch, east London, in April 2007. The court was told that the cocaine-fuelled attack on Audun Carlsen, a Norwegian man, had been 'premeditated and callous' and had left the victim 'traumatised'. Boy George had been found guilty at an earlier trial of false imprisonment and beating Carlsen with a chain with the help of another man, whom he had never identified. Ms Rowling rejected Boy George's claim that she was entitled. During a conversation on clarifying "what the word woman means", Heather declared she felt like she was "under attack" from Martine's questioning. The veteran BBC newsreader countered by questioning how it could be an "attack" when all she was asking for was clarification. She then told Heather that the ruling made it clear "sex is binary and immutable" after the trans activist denied that local authorities - who have not protected single sex spaces based on biological sex - may have to reverse policies as a result of the ruling. 4
