Complaint to Guardian about article
Dear Reader's Editor,
I would like to raise a formal complaint about Sophie Heawood's article of 2nd April 2015 at http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/lostinshowbiz/2015/apr/02/james-franco-gay-up-to-a-point
My complaint is around biphobia in the form of disbelief, mocking and assuming the right of judgement about a person's sexual orientation.
Sophie Heawood in her replies to me on twitter claims she finds it funny that James Franco appears to change what sexual orientation he identifies with. She then goes on to claim that James Franco is chopping and changing his identified sexual orientation to look cool as a celebrity. This "to look cool" accusation is a hugely prevalent form of biphobia and is one which many bi people have experienced as a form of erasure and dismissal.
This ideas that anyone other than an individual gets to judge their own sexual orientation at any given time or that they should have to perform to expectations of that orientation are all forms of biphobia.
Biphobic articles in the media contribute to a devaluing of bisexuality as a valid sexual orientation and increases the lack of safer spaces for bi people to come out to themselves or others. This causes real harm as shown in research about bi people's mental and physical health outcomes.
I'm not the most articulate person to write about this but I can recommend that Sophie Heawood and the editor who approved this biphobic article read:
Bisexual Index's article and FAQ about what biphobia is
http://www.bisexualindex.org.uk/index.php/biphobia
http://www.bisexualindex.org.uk/index.php/Bisexuality
For credible evidenced research of the harm caused by biphobia in society I recommend The Bisexuality Report from respected researchers at the Open University at http://www.open.ac.uk/ccig/files/ccig/The%20BisexualityReport%20Feb.2012.pdf
I will be sending a complaint to the PCC on the grounds of 12i) pejorative reference to an individual's sexual orientation.
I would like a response to this complaint. I think the Guardian owes bi people an apology published prominently in the Guardian and above this article acknowledging the biphobic nature of it and recognition of the harm it causes.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Best regards,
Natalya
Complaint to IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation)
I used their online form but I believe the article breaches Clause 12 Discrimination part i.
My extra wording in the ipso form was:
"The entire article is premised on the idea that it is acceptable to judge, mock and make homophobic and biphobic remarks about someone's celebrity. The author accuses the subject of the article, a celebrity James Franco of "calling himself bisexual to look cool" and describes him as a "bollockless bisexual". Judging whether someone is bisexual enough is a well understood and researched form of biphobia.
The whole article is pejorative about the subject's sexuality which is discriminatory in itself. It is a very common experience for bi people like myself to be accused of "only being bi to be cool" as a form of erasure and discrimination. "
No idea if they will take me seriously but...
Dear Reader's Editor,
I would like to raise a formal complaint about Sophie Heawood's article of 2nd April 2015 at http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/lostinshowbiz/2015/apr/02/james-franco-gay-up-to-a-point
My complaint is around biphobia in the form of disbelief, mocking and assuming the right of judgement about a person's sexual orientation.
Sophie Heawood in her replies to me on twitter claims she finds it funny that James Franco appears to change what sexual orientation he identifies with. She then goes on to claim that James Franco is chopping and changing his identified sexual orientation to look cool as a celebrity. This "to look cool" accusation is a hugely prevalent form of biphobia and is one which many bi people have experienced as a form of erasure and dismissal.
This ideas that anyone other than an individual gets to judge their own sexual orientation at any given time or that they should have to perform to expectations of that orientation are all forms of biphobia.
Biphobic articles in the media contribute to a devaluing of bisexuality as a valid sexual orientation and increases the lack of safer spaces for bi people to come out to themselves or others. This causes real harm as shown in research about bi people's mental and physical health outcomes.
I'm not the most articulate person to write about this but I can recommend that Sophie Heawood and the editor who approved this biphobic article read:
Bisexual Index's article and FAQ about what biphobia is
http://www.bisexualindex.org.uk/index.php/biphobia
http://www.bisexualindex.org.uk/index.php/Bisexuality
For credible evidenced research of the harm caused by biphobia in society I recommend The Bisexuality Report from respected researchers at the Open University at http://www.open.ac.uk/ccig/files/ccig/The%20BisexualityReport%20Feb.2012.pdf
I will be sending a complaint to the PCC on the grounds of 12i) pejorative reference to an individual's sexual orientation.
I would like a response to this complaint. I think the Guardian owes bi people an apology published prominently in the Guardian and above this article acknowledging the biphobic nature of it and recognition of the harm it causes.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Best regards,
Natalya
Complaint to IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation)
I used their online form but I believe the article breaches Clause 12 Discrimination part i.
i) The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual's race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability.
My extra wording in the ipso form was:
"The entire article is premised on the idea that it is acceptable to judge, mock and make homophobic and biphobic remarks about someone's celebrity. The author accuses the subject of the article, a celebrity James Franco of "calling himself bisexual to look cool" and describes him as a "bollockless bisexual". Judging whether someone is bisexual enough is a well understood and researched form of biphobia.
The whole article is pejorative about the subject's sexuality which is discriminatory in itself. It is a very common experience for bi people like myself to be accused of "only being bi to be cool" as a form of erasure and discrimination. "
No idea if they will take me seriously but...