Saturday, August 18, 2012

BBC Sports Editor, David Bond, interviewed Sepp Blatter last year after a series of controversial comments, including a suggestion that racism wasn't a problem in football. Even though the interview went on for over 20 minutes David Bond did not ask the FIFA boss any questions about homophobia in football, nor on the consequence for LGBT people of choosing Russia and Qatar to host the World Cup. Was this omission merely an oversight - or was it symptomatic of a more serious problem within the Corporation?

Well, thanks to Google it is quite easy to find an answer. Because, if Google's search results are to be believed, Bond has frequently dealt with the issue of racism in football, but steers clear of news about prejudice and discrimination against LGBT people. For instance, in this blog and accompanying 17 minute interview, David Bond completely ignores the issue.

In an email dated 1st March 2010 I mentioned to Joe Godwin that the BBC Diversity Strategy, adopted in 2005, says that BBC leaders across the organisation are to be held accountable for making diversity happen.

Although Newsround and MOTD Kickabout have covered the topics of racism and sexism, so far there's been nothing specifically dealing with homophobia, either in school or in football.

Last month Mark Thompson acknowledged the Corporation's "shortcomings."

Of course, one of those shortcomings was the total failure of Newsound to report on LGBT human rights issues. However, shortly after Mr Thompson's speech, the programme did briefly mention the Scottish Government's intention to legislate for "gay marriage."

But look more closely at the Director-General's speech. He said the BBC has a "duty to take lesbian, gay and bisexual people as seriously as any other part of our audience and to portray them and convey their experiences and perspectives with as much conviction and fairness as we would anyone else." He said, George Entwistle, is every bit committed as himself towards that aim.

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