BBC told to apologise as ‘blacklisted’ scientist dismantles trans debate on Question Time in resurfaced clip
The BBC has been told to apologise for allegedly “blacklisting” a scientist who said changing sex is impossible.
Professor Robert Winston made the remarks in a 2021 edition of BBC’s Question Time programme and viewers say he is “barely on TV anymore”.
After the UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, a video of Winston’s appearance is doing the rounds again on X.
In the clip, Professor Winston “categorically” declared that you cannot change your sex.
He also joked the BBC would cut his remarks out of the programme’s final edit, something they did not do.
But Winston told Fiona Bruce he sensed a wave of hate mail coming his way – revealing it is something he had become accustomed to.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Transport police update strip search policy after landmark trans Supreme Court decisionSupreme Court’s ruling on women will ‘take a while to be dismantled’ despite ‘common sense victory’LGB Alliance hails ‘beginning of the end’ as trans Supreme Court decision prompts police change
“You cannot change your sex”, he said.
“Your sex is there in every cell in the body. You have chromosomal sex, genetic sex, hormonal sex, all sorts of different types. Psychological sex and brain sex.
“We have unfortunately got very confused about this. Regrettably, we have got into this argument.”
Fiona Bruce put it to Winston that many would argue he is being “transphobic”, something he acknowledged would likely be the case.
He responded: “Unfortunately, you can’t say this publicly. Undoubtedly me saying this will result in me getting a lot of hate mail.
“I do think it’s a big issue about the attitudes. There are, of course, issues about young people being confused about their sex but we won’t get into that here.
“Overall, I think it’s a sad thing we can’t discuss biological science without getting into this emotional argument.”
X users have responded by calling for the BBC to apologise to Winston, claiming he has been “blacklisted” by the broadcaster.
Winston, who is one of the UK’s best-known scientists, used to present BBC programme How Science Changed Our World.
His “inspiring” trip to a classroom in Northamptonshire last year was covered by the BBC News website.
The BBC has been approached for comment.