NEWS FROM THE IRISH RESISTANCE
20th June 2021
NEWS FROM THE IRISH RESISTANCE
The Irish Resistance are excited to announce our first Call to Action to draw attention to inaccurate and misleading reportage in the Irish press and broadcasting media. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has responded to a query from @TheICWA, about the reporting of sexual offences, with confirmation that that BAI codes and standards are guidelines only.
This begs the question, why has it become so prevalent in the Irish media that crimes committed by trans-identified males (transwomen) are reported as crimes committed by females (women)? Not only is the dissemination of factually incorrect information not befitting of our professional journalistic bodies, but it also obfuscates details which are important for the public to know. You can read Saoirse Connelly’s enlightening and informative review of this misleading practise here.
There is a need for consistency across the media industry to report with clarity and accuracy.
Suspect description
As we are on the topic of holding professional bodies to account, The Irish Resistance is looking into Garda policy about recording the sex or gender identity of perpetrators of sexual and violent assault. As demonstrated in this recent UK police tweet, inaccurate suspect descriptions put victims at risk. This also results in inaccurately recorded crime statistics and skewed data. We expect better from our media and law enforcement bodies, they need to be held to the highest standards.
Twitter Jail
Twitter continues its shocking practise of silencing women, as evidenced by a young lesbian who tweeted about her poor experience of being ignored and disregarded at several BeLong To Youth Services events. Twitter hid the “likes” on the thread and removed impressions and engagements. This act of deboosting and ghost-banning is especially disgraceful during Pride Month, when lesbian experiences should be highlighted and valued. You can catch up with @cleancitybird tweets and show your support here.
Good News
Some welcome news from Irish Twitter. Sticker Woman has been getting out and about during this glorious sunny spell. She certainly gets around!
Get Involved!
Contact your local and national news media journalists and organisations to query if their policy is to report violent crimes perpetrated by “transwomen” as having been committed by “women.”
Enquire if your local and national news media journalists and organisations are aware that there are no specific BAI rules that govern the use of gender or sex when reporting on crimes committed by transwomen.
Question your local and national news media journalists and organisations on whether they agree they hold a responsibility to accurately report and record details of crime, particularly cases involving violence or sexual assault against women.
VOTE! Contact candidates ahead of the Dublin Bay by-elections on 8 July 2021 to ask their position on mixed-sex toilets in schools, safeguarding of children, and access to toilet facilities for pupils of different faiths.