UK news outlets spread misinformation about hospitals’ trans-inclusive language policy
Many UK news outlets incorrectly reported that an NHS Trust was replacing words like “mother” and “breastfeeding” with gender-inclusive language, stirring up transphobia.
Recently, the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust introduced a gender inclusive language policy in which staff were directed to use terms like “chestfeeding” when appropriate when talking to trans or non-binary parents. Of course, for cis gender women “breastfeeding”, etc., are still used. As the policy puts it:
We are taking a gender-additive approach to the language used to describe our services. For us, a gender-additive approach means using gender-neutral language alongside the language of womanhood, in order to ensure that everyone is represented and included
[…]
Please note that these language changes do not apply when discussing or caring for individuals in a one-on-one capacity where language and documentation should reflect the gender identity of the individual. When caring for cis women it is good practice to use terminology that is meaningful and appropriate to the individual; this may include terms such as woman, mother or breastfeeding.
Although this is as clear as day, a number of news outlets reported on it incorrectly, spreading misinformation, adding to current levels of transphobia in the UK. The outlets all stated that the inclusive language had replaced words and phrases like “breastfeeding”.
The Times, for example, reported that ‘Breastfeeding is now chestfeeding’: ‘Midwives have been told to say “chestfeeding” instead of “breastfeeding” and to replace the term “mother” with “mother or birthing parent” as part of moves to be more trans-friendly’.
The Telegraph reported that ‘Midwives have been told to stop using terms including ‘breastfeeding’ and ‘breastmilk’ as part of a new trans-friendly policy’.
Similarly, The Sun reported that midwives had been ‘told to say ‘chestfeeding’ instead of ‘breastfeeding’ to be more trans-friendly’: ‘Staff should also replace the term “mother” with “mother or birthing parent”.
The Mirror reported that ‘Midwives … have been told to stop using terms like “mothers”, “breastfeeding” and “maternal” as part of a new trans-friendly language policy’.
Mail Online reported that medical staff had been told to say ‘‘birthing parents’ and ‘human milk’ instead of ‘mothers’ and ‘breastmilk’ because they risk offending transgender people’.
All of these articles share a reporter: Rosie Taylor. It must pay to spread your transphobia around.
LBC managed to be transphobic all on its own, reporting that midwives had been ‘told to say ‘chestfeeding’ instead of ‘breastfeeding’ in gender-inclusive move’, and that ‘“breastmilk” should be replaced by phrases such as “human milk”’.
These reports all imply that the more inclusive terms, like “chestfeeding”, are replacing words like “breastfeeding. But remember, the policy is not replacing words like “breastfeeding” — it’s introducing words to be use as well as them, as appropriate, when staff are engaging with trans and non-binary people.
It’s not hard to report on this in a better way. The policy’s clear. You must either be an awful journalist to report so badly, or purposefully misconstrue the situation because you’re transphobic. The Express — not known for being the highest quality of paper — managed reasonably well, for instance, reported that midwives had been ‘advised to say ‘chestfeed’ instead of breastfeed around transgender patients’ — this isn’t great (it could be read that staff have to say “chestfeed” even when talking to a cis woman if a trans person is present, implying that that a trans person would take offence otherwise), but it’s a little better than many of the other national papers. The Express’ subtitle is an improvement still: ‘Midwives are being advised to say “chestfeed” instead of breastfeed when dealing with transgender patients’. The Manchester Evening News did fine as well, reported that ‘Hospital tells staff to use terms ‘chestfeeding’ and ‘human milk’ to become more inclusive’, with the subtitle ‘They’ve been asked to use gender-neutral language alongside traditional terms’. The article makes clear that ‘staff have been asked to use gender-neutral language alongside — not instead of — traditional terms to ensure that all groups are represented’.
The clickbait headlines of many national papers evidently worked at manufacturing outrage, as can be seen by the responses to the outlets’ tweets and Facebook posts about their articles — see, for example, the replies to LCB’s tweet. Once again, the media misleads, stirring up transphobia and hate.
Incredibly, many transphobic people, TERFs and Gender Critical, believe — or at least make the claim — that trans people have control over the media. As you can see from the transphobic misinformation displayed here, this is far from the case. News outlets, far more often than not, are hostile to trans people.
If you’d like to make a complaint about any of this misleading reporting — or any of the other transphobic reporting you see — you can contact the Independent Press Standards Organisation (if the reporting is in a newspaper that’s an IPSO member (all of the above papers are)). To complain about a broadcaster, contact Ofcom.
