In this powerful new episode, Cath and Julie Bindel revisit a forgotten moment in BBC history — the 2007 Hecklers debate — and ask whether such a programme could even be made today.

Eighteen years before the Cass Review, Julie was already warning about the dangers of gender medicalisation, the erasure of women’s rights, and the capture of British institutions by an ideology that rejects evidence.

Together, Cath and Julie explore:

* The BBC’s recent editorial bias dossier on sex and gender

* The rise of activist-journalism under figures like Megha Mohan and Ben Hunte

* Why the BBC’s founding principles of accuracy and impartiality must be reclaimed

* How “gender identity” became a journalistic taboo topic

* The original Hecklers debate — when Julie faced four gender ideologues, a hostile audience, and even had a bottle thrown at her

* What has (and hasn’t) changed in Britain’s cultural institutions since 2007

* The making of Genderland — Julie’s groundbreaking podcast series about families and detransitioners

* The untold emotional toll on parents and detransitioners — and why their stories could transform public understanding

📎 Mentioned in this episode

* BBC Hecklers (2007) — “Gender medicalisation is a mutilating act.” Listen to the recovered recording on Julie Bindel’s Substack

* Julie Bindel’s column archive: The Guardian (2004) • UnHerd (2025)

* Women’s Place UK: womensplaceuk.org

* Maya Forstater v. CGD Europe: Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling

* Helen Joyce: Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality

* Kathleen Stock: Material Girls

* The Cass Review: independent review of gender identity services

* BBC Editorial Guidelines: bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines

🧩 Further listening

* 🎧 Genderland – Series One

* Julie’s long-form interviews with parents and detransitioners.

* 🎙️ Seen in Journalism archive: All episodes here →

💬 Quotes from the episode

“Everything trans activism touches turns to dust — let’s hope the BBC isn’t next.”

— Cath

“If you told people the earth is flat, they’d stop asking questions. That’s what gender ideology has done to journalism.”

— Julie Bindel

📢 Join the conversation

Have thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment below or email us at seeninjournalism@protonmail.com.

Follow Julie’s work on Substack and Twitter/X.

Follow Cath’s reporting at Seen in Journalism.

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