The BBC violated its own editorial guidelines on August 10 when a report created false balance between a survivor and critic of conversion therapy, and a leading proponent and supposed “ex-gay” success story.
The report began with Gareth, a survivor, discussing the lasting damage caused by attempts to “cure” him of his sexual orientation. But then the segment provided Core Issues Trust CEO Mike Davidson with a soapbox, lacking any meaningful fact-checking.
Among other concerns, according to Pink News, critics noted that the BBC report created false ambiguity over whether this harmful and discredited practice is a legitimate form of therapy, dangerously presenting a fraudulent scam “in a palatable way.”
Pink News notes that the BBC’s guidelines make clear “impartiality usually involves more than a simple matter of ‘balance’ between opposing viewpoints” and “does not require absolute neutrality on every issue.”
Born Perfect is a survivor-led program created by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) in 2014 to end conversion therapy by passing laws across the country that protect LGBTQ children and young people, fighting in courtrooms to ensure their safety, and raising awareness about the serious harms caused by these dangerous practices. https://bornperfect.org