The BBC has warned some of its staff not to attend LGBT+ Pride or Black Lives Matter events, for fear they are ‘political’. The new impartiality rules apparently apply to those BBC staff who are supposed to remain ‘politically neutral’.
This typically means news and current affairs staff. Moreover, while the rules are far from clear, the focus appears to be on trans rights in particular.
BBC leaders indicated they thought trans equality was controversial, insiders say. But leading LGBT+ campaigners have attacked the policy after i News broke the story yesterday.
Early rumors on social media indicated the ban may apply to all LGBT+ Prides and other events as well as Black Lives Matter protests.