Some of the LGBT community have voiced complaints over alleged homophobic reporting by mainstream media on BBC newsreader Jane Hill’s forthcoming marriage.
Earlier this week lesbian newsreader Jane Hill announced on Twitter that she was to marry her girlfriend in a civil partnership ceremony.
She is to marry TV camerawoman Sara Shepherd, but has the national news taken a potentially homophobic stance on reporting the news?
The notable article that raises this question is the Daily Telegraphs coverage of the story, who ran with the headline: “BBC newsreader Jane Hill is to ‘marry’ a woman cameraman”.
The Telegraph said “woman cameraman” as opposed to camerawoman which caused some controversy, as to why the spotlight is on the fact it is a lesbian marriage, when we never see the words ‘straight marriage’, attached to similar news between straight couples.
Sarah Garrett, Editor of leading lesbian magazine g3 said: “We hope a day will come when a story such as the marriage of Jane Hill and her partner Sara Shepherd is only news because it’s of public interest that a couple who are in love are getting married and there are no constant references to their sexuality”
She also said we don’t see headlines when heterosexual couples get married that read ‘Straight Couple to marry’.
There has been huge progress recently though in allowing same-sex couples to marry in churches, and maybe acceptance of same-sex marriage as a social norm is in sight.
