BBC slammed as ‘breathtakingly insulting’ after including trans scientist in annual 100 Women list
Women’s rights campaigners have branded the BBC’s decision to include a transgender scientist in their annual 100 women list as ‘breathtakingly insulting.’
Brigitte Baptiste is a Colombian scientist who the BBC described as “a trans woman” who “explores the common patterns between biodiversity and gender identity.”
They added that the scientist uses a “queer lens to analyse landscapes and species in a bid to expand the notion of ‘nature’ to better protect ecosystems.
Baptiste has argued for the idea of “queerness” in nature, claiming in a 2018 TED talk that scientists had discovered “transsexual” palm trees.
The biologist said: “Change of sex and gender has been reported regularly in science. There is nothing more queer than nature.”
Baptiste appeared on the list alongside figures such as gold-medal Olympian Rebeca Andrade, actress Sharon Stone and leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch.
Feminist campaigners hit out at this decision, with chief executive Kate Barker-Mawjee of the LGB alliance posting on social media:
“This is Brigitte Baptiste, one of the BBC’s women of the year picks. Another breathtakingly insulting move from the woman-haters at the BBC.”
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Others also took to social media to criticise the decision, with users saying “Boycott the BBC” and calling the scientist “a bloke in a wig.”
The BBC has included transgender women in the list for the past several years, including Nepalese activist Rukshana Kapali in 2023 and Erika Hilton and Efrat Tilma in 2022.
The founder of BBC 100 Women Fiona Crack said: “At the BBC, we are proud to shine a spotlight on these extraordinary women, from high-profile figures to those whose remarkable contributions often go unrecognised.”
The broadcaster added: “BBC 100 Women acknowledges the toll this year has taken on women by celebrating those who – through their resilience – are pushing for change, as the world changes around them.”
This comes as the BBC is already under fire over their choice for women’s footballer of the year, with Zambian player Barbra Banda winning despite the player having been removed from a tournament for allegedly failing to meet sex elegibility rules.
It was later revealed that she was barred pre-emptively when team bosses became aware that her testosterone labels exceeded those allowed by the Confederation of African Football.
Her agent Anton Maksimov denied claims that Banda failed a gender test, saying she was removed based on an “evaluation of her physical conditions.”
He said in a 2022 statement: “She [Banda] has not undergone and consequently has not failed any “gender verification” or “gender eligibility tests” administered prior to the tournament. Barbra is also perfectly healthy and fit”.
“The decision not to currently feature Barbra at the tournament is FAZ’s internal decision based on their own evaluation of her physical conditions before coming to Morocco.”