The BBC is under fire after honoring a trans-identified male as one of 2022’s most “inspiring and influential women.” Erika Hilton, a transgender politician in Brazil, is currently seeking to have a women’s rights advocate imprisoned for misgendering him.
Hilton was elected to São Paulo’s municipal government in November of 2020, winning his seat by a landslide. At the time of his victory, he was celebrated by international media as being a “symbolic triumph” for transgender people. Hilton was amongst the top 10 most-voted for candidates in all of Brazil, and was touted as the “only woman” to make the cut.
Hilton was featured in this year’s iteration of BBC‘s 100 women from around the world who are “influential and inspiring women.” The theme for 2022 was “progress that has been made across different areas over the past decade.”
The BBC‘s list includes Hilton in their “politics and activism” category, lauding him with a description that reads: “The first black trans woman ever elected to a seat in the National Congress of Brazil. Erika Hilton is an activist who campaigns against racism, and for LGBTQ+ and human rights.”
But earlier this year, it was revealed that Hilton had been attempting to have an anti-domestic violence advocate imprisoned for calling him a “man.”
Isabella Cêpa, Brazilian feminist influencer, is well-known in Brazil for her advocacy on the issues of sexual and domestic violence. In 2020, shortly after Hilton’s election, Cêpa made a quick remark on her Instagram on the claims Hilton was the “most voted for woman” in Brazil.
Speaking exclusively to Reduxx in June, Cêpa said she hadn’t even known who Hilton was when she made her remarks, and had simply said she was “disappointed to hear that the most voted-for woman in São Paulo – later found out that it was in the entire country – was a man.”
Almost two years later, Cêpa discovered she was being charged with criminal transphobia for misgendering Hilton.
Cêpa’s mother was tracked down by police who questioned her on her daughter’s whereabouts and told her to visit a police station. After she spoke with police and learned it was over a complaint from Hilton, Cêpa was in the dark about the status against her until she read about them in Brazil’s national news, Folha, where an article on her case stated she was being charged with 5 counts of “social racism.” Some of the charges relate to Hilton, and others are from the Public Prosecutor combing through her social media feed to find other “transphobic” statements she had reportedly made.
In addition to learning about the charges, Folha announced Cêpa was facing up to 25 years in prison, a figure she says was manufactured to discourage other feminists from speaking out on similar issues.
Cêpa says Hilton appeared to be using the threat of suing feminists as a re-election strategy last year, rallying his supporters around the idea he will sue “transphobes” after having them criminally convicted, and then give his settlement money to other trans-identified males.
Speaking to Reduxx on Hilton’s nomination to the BBC‘s 100 Women list, Cêpa expressed amusement.
“What can I say? I think he shoudn’t be included for being a man, there’s nothing else to be said, even if he was the greatest man,” Cêpa says. “But still, that’s not even the case here. This guy hates women and has no shame in showing it.”
Cêpa has informed Reduxx she is not entirely sure what the status of her case currently is, and still has yet to receive any formal documentation on her charges.
Hilton’s inclusion on the list comes in stark contrast to the female nominations, all of whom have an impressive laundry list of achievements that benefit women and girls.
Of them, one was nominated by prolific writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who was recently made a target by trans activists for noting the differences in life experience between trans-identified males and women.
Adichie nominated Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, a Nigerian law professor and founding director of the Women Aid Collective (WACOL). Ezeilo’s organization has provided free legal aid and shelter to 60,000 women in Nigeria in the last 25 years. She also provides rapid response to victims/survivors of abuse through her Tamar Sexual Assault Referral Centre. Ezeilo was lauded by Adichie, who said she has “impacted many lives… especially to women and girls whose human rights have been violated.”
Other women on the list include Geraldina Guerra Garcés, an Ecuadorian anti-femicide activist who works to protect female victims of violence in Ecuador, and Zahra Joya, an Afghan journalist who disguised herself as a boy for over 6 years in order to attend school under Taliban rule.
On social media, some have begun to call out BBC for Hilton’s name making the list, along with another trans-identified male who was similarly included. Efrat Tilma, an Israeli police officer, was also included in the 2022 iteration of BBC‘s list of 100 women.
Graham Linehan’s newsletter, The Glinner Update, announced Hilton and Tilma’s inclusion on the list. Glinner contributor JL pointed out that this was not the first time BBC‘s 100 Women list included males.
“No doubt, like most of the trans-identified males included in previous years, Hilton and Tilma are brilliant campaigners and activists and more than deserving of praise and recognition. But they do not belong on a list that is intended to celebrate women,” JL wrote. “… Even with approximately 3.905 billion females to choose from, the BBC has seen fit to include trans-identified males on a list supposedly dedicated to celebrating the achievements of just 100 women.”
On social media, women voiced their concerns by replying to the BBC‘s Twitter post, with some even asserting they would take their complaint to Ofcom, the UK’s media regulation body.
You could only find 98 women worthy of consideration, could you? Really? Try harder please @BBCNewsPR
— Womannotabot (@MaryMaryWOMAN) December 6, 2022
“This isn’t a women’s list, stop gaslighting,” Henrietta Freeman wrote, with her reply wracking up more ‘likes’ than the BBC‘s post itself.
Hilton’s nomination to a list intended to honor 100 “women” comes just weeks after Glamour Brazil awarded a male influencer with the prestigious Woman of the Year award at its annual Generation Glamour ceremony. Linn da Quebrada, a “transvestite” social media celebrity, took home the top award despite the fact he has stated he does not identify as a woman, and does not even believe women ‘exist.’
On December 1, it was revealed that another trans-identified male in Brazil was seeking criminal penalties for a female gym owner who denied him membership due to the facility being single-sex. The charges being pursued are similar to those pressed against Isabella Cêpa.
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