Complaint
The programme was about two French artists who had lived in Nazi-occupied Jersey as a lesbian couple while also frequently posing as men. A listener complained about the statement that “The Nazis brutally persecuted gay, lesbian, trans and gender non-conforming people†on the grounds that the Nazis had enacted no laws against trans people and the reference to them minimised “the real persecution of tens of thousands of same sex attracted peopleâ€. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC’s editorial standards of accuracy.
Outcome
Although different terminology was used at the time, there was ample evidence that the Nazis had targeted those who were assigned male sex at birth but later identified as women. The statement in question was therefore accurate, as well as relevant to a story which included exploration of gender identity under Nazi occupation.
Not upheld