The Observer withdraws Julie Burchill column as editor publishes apology
John Mulholland admits newspaper 'got it wrong' by publishing piece attacking transgender people and removes online version
Mark Sweney
guardian.co.uk, Monday 14 January 2013 13.59 EST
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jan/14/observer-withdraws-julie-burchill-columnThe Observer has removed a controversial column by Julie Burchill, in which she attacked transgender people, from the internet, and editor John Mulholland has published an apology, admitting that the newspaper "got it wrong".
Burchill, a freelance writer, wrote in an Observer column on Sunday that transgender people were "screaming mimis", "bed-wetters in bad wigs" and "dicks in chicks' clothing".
The column, published online on
guardian.co.uk's Comment is Free website, has been taken down with the link now directed to a statement from Mulholland in which he apologises for the offence caused in what has become a "highly charged debate".
"We have decided to withdraw from publication the Julie Burchill comment piece 'Transsexuals should cut it out'," he said. "The piece was an attempt to explore contentious issues within what had become a highly-charged debate. The Observer is a paper which prides itself on ventilating difficult debates and airing challenging views. On this occasion we got it wrong and in light of the hurt and offence caused I apologise and have made the decision to withdraw the piece."
