Sunday Times T.V. Critic Calls Clare Balding a "Dyke"

St._Andalou

Sports presenter Clare Balding has made an official complaint to the Press Complaints Commission over an article by A.A. Gill which mocked her sexuality in The Sunday Times.

Balding, who is gay, complained to the newspaper's editor, John Witherow, about the tone of the article. But, she said, she was then even more horrified by Witherow's response.

Gill had written: "Some time ago, I made a cheap and frankly unnecessary joke about Clare Balding looking like a big lesbian. And afterwards somebody tugged my sleeve to point out that she is a big lesbian."

After a mock apology, he continued: "Now back to the dyke on a bike, puffing up the nooks and crannies at the bottom end of the nation."

Balding complained to Witherow. She was then "appalled" to receive a reply stating: "In my view some members of the gay community need to stop regarding themselves as having a special victim status and behave like any other sensible group that is accepted by society.

"Not having a privileged status means, of course, one must accept occasionally being the butt of jokes. A person's sexuality should not give them a protected status.

"Jeremy Clarkson, perhaps the epitome of the heterosexual male, is constantly jeered at for his dress sense (lack of), adolescent mindset and hairstyle. He puts up with it as a presenter's lot and in this context I hardly think that AA Gill's remarks were particularly cruel, especially as he ended by so warmly endorsing you as a presenter."

Balding responded: "When the day comes that people stop resigning from high office, being disowned by their families, getting beaten up and in some instances committing suicide because of their sexuality, you may have a point.

Full story in the Guardian Here.

B.B.C. coverage of the story here.

St._Andalou

I'm really annoyed at this story. It is incomprehensible why Gill would refer to her that way in the first place. The reaction of the editor is even worse.

Balding is a fantastic sports presenter, I think. Not so long ago the BBC's sports coverage consisted of men who weren't interested in anything but football. Balding is obviously passionate about all areas of sport.

Good for her for kicking up a fuss! She's received a lot of support on her Twitter page.

John Prescott wrote: "@clarebalding1 Just heard you're taking AA Gill and Sunday Times to PCC. Good luck. Disgraceful what they wrote. Gill's a real sh**."

GalwayGuy92

Although the editor's remarks are way out of line he does make a valid point also made by people in this thread. Gay people in the media cannot expect to be trated with a certain reverance just for the fact of being a minority group. If you are in the public eye, every aspect of your character will be constantly under attack. I will conceed that the use of the word 'Dyke' is comparable to the N word to refer to a black person and is a horrible way to refer to somebody.

Gay people are not the only ones to commit suicide, there are high suicide rates among overweight teens too. And while it is imortant to say the struggles of coming to terms with sexual orientation that is different than the norm is INCREDIBLY difficult; it is not the be all and end all of all arguements regarding LGBT people being picked on for their sexuality.

If we want to be accepted as part of soceity and treated equally we must be willing to accept the fact that we will be mocked in the media. But we can still provide true reflection of what being LGBT actually means. The same way fat people/gingers/blondes have to take the mockery. We aren't special, we are the same as everybody else and should be treated as such!

St._Andalou

GalwayGuy92 wrote: »

If we want to be accepted as part of soceity and treated equally we must be willing to accept the fact that we will be mocked in the media. But we can still provide true reflection of what being LGBT actually means. The same way fat people/gingers/blondes have to take the mockery. We aren't special, we are the same as everybody else and should be treated as such!

Yes, but there's a difference between gentle mockery and cruelty. I think A.A. Gill's remarks are the latter.

crotalus667

I have to come down on the side of Gill here , Flynt V's Falwell comes to mind

Annasopra

crotalus667 wrote: »

I have to come down on the side of Gill here , Flynt V's Falwell comes to mind

whats Flynt V Falwell?

rainbow kirby

Johnnymcg wrote: »

whats Flynt V Falwell?

This, as far as I know.

Chuchoter

I consider dyke/****** on the exact same level as the n word. They're horrendous and should never be used by anyone, let alone someone in the media.

There is a big difference between a funny joke and har har har look at that big muffmucher. I like gay jokes when they are actually funny.

St._Andalou

crayolastereo wrote: »

I consider dyke/****** on the exact same level as the n word. They're horrendous and should never be used by anyone, let alone someone in the media.

There is a big difference between a funny joke and har har har look at that big muffmucher. I like gay jokes when they are actually funny.

Exactly. In this case, her sexuality is completely irrelevant. It's a show about cycling through the English countryside. What on earth does her sexuality have to do with it? It's not parody, it's just hateful.

Bigcheeze

crayolastereo wrote: »

I consider dyke/****** on the exact same level as the n word. They're horrendous and should never be used by anyone, let alone someone in the media.

There is a big difference between a funny joke and har har har look at that big muffmucher. I like gay jokes when they are actually funny.

Is dyke an offensive word ? I think of it as being fairly mild - similar to "poof"

rainbow kirby

Bigcheeze wrote: »

Is dyke an offensive word ? I think of it as being fairly mild - similar to "poof"

In the context where it is being used here, it is.

dreamer_ire

Bigcheeze wrote: »

Is dyke an offensive word ? I think of it as being fairly mild - similar to "poof"

I use the word dyke to describe my sexuality because I don't like the word lesbian. That said, if someone unknown to me calls me a dyke well it's usually not for the same reason.

I completely support freedom of speech/freedom of the press, if we didn't cherish it just think how much worse off we as a community would be. Yes, it does mean that at times we have to listen to anti-gay tirades but that's life. So long as it doesn't constitute hate speech then people can hold and express their own opinions.

All that said however, I believe the ST is wrong in this instance. Not only was there no need to bring Clare Balding's sexual orientation into the article.... come on it's about a cycling show not it's about religion or politics.... sexual orientation is one of the "protected characteristics" under the UK's Equality Act. I can see her complaint being upheld and I don't think it would be a set back for freedom of speech.

GalwayGuy92

St._Andalou wrote: »

Yes, but there's a difference between gentle mockery and cruelty. I think A.A. Gill's remarks are the latter.

I agree completely, despite the fact that this didn't really carry over in my post. His remark was intended as comedy (?) but it wasn't funny, only cruel/ignorant.