A video of a journalist using incorrect pronouns for a guest on her TV show has sparked a row on social media. Julia Hartley-Brewer, a British anchor for TalkTV, invited journalist Shivani Dave to discuss about the CASS Review -- an independent report on gender services for children and young people, as per the caption of the post. However, things went south when Hartley-Brewer refused to use Dave’s preferred pronouns.
Dave, an Indian-American journalist, broadcaster and physicist, according to her website, identifies as non-binary. Even after clarifying their pronouns to the host, Hartley-Brewer refused and said that she would not be using “incorrect grammar”.
“Thank you for telling me your pronouns. I use correct grammar. You can choose what you want to call yourself. But you don’t get to require me to use incorrect grammar and factually incorrect things,” the British anchor said.
“You’re not a plural. You’re one person, and you’re a female person. So, I will use ‘she’ and ‘her,’ thank you very much,” she added.
“Do what you like I guess. Maybe I am just making sure people know, in case they are watching and they want to refer to me respectfully,” Dave, who identifies as a non-binary trans, responded.
To that the anchor asked if its disrespectful to use correct grammar and insisted that she was using correct pronouns for a single woman on the show.
However, Dave reiterated that they were not a single woman but a “very special non-binary trans person”.
“Okay. I’m not special. I’m just a boring, old, heterosexual, married woman. But you know, sorry about that. We’re not allowed to do that anymore,” the anchor retorted.
The video went viral and social media users flocked to the comments section with their thoughts. A section of people were furious over Hartley-Brewer's behaviour towards Dave and criticised her.
"This anchor is all kinds of cringe," one user wrote. Another user commented, "Oh my god, she’s so combative for absolutely no reason? How is she able to continue working as an anchor."
"Disgusting. If a person wants to be called they/them that is their right as a person," a third user remarked.
A fourth user added, "Excuse me! I am sorry! The female journalist needs to show respect to a nonbinary guest."
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