By Sarah Lagan
The Editors’ Code of Practice is being amended to stop discriminatory reporting of transgender people.
Clause 12i of the Code will now state that the press should avoid
prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual’s ‘gender’ rather
than their ‘sex’ as it was previously.
Although the Press
Complaints Commission, which adjudicates on complaints under the Code,
believed the existing wording already covered transgender individuals,
the Editors’
Committee, which writes and revises the Code, formed the opinion that it should be more specific.
The
decision, which follows the introduction of the Gender Recognition Act
last year, covers those who are undergoing, or have undergone,
treatment for gender reassignment.
Code Committee chairman and
chairman of News International, Les Hinton, said: “The Committee felt
it right, in the light of the recent legislative changes on transgender
issues, to specifically mention avoiding prejudicial or pejorative
references on the ground of a person’s gender.”
The Code has been ratified by the PCC and the change will take effect from 13 June, 2005.
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