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Berena Deserved Better
Lessons in better representation #BerenaDeservedBetter

Author: #BDB

  • #BerenaDeservedBetter

The intention to do better

Posted on 2 February 20202 February 2020by #BDB
DI Raymond

Do not be broken by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness, for the light is you. (L.R. Knost, author, activist) It’s been four years since Major […]

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The BBC complaints process: A cheat-sheet

Posted on 29 July 20192 February 2020by #BDB
Complaints process

Everything you wanted to know about the BBC complaints process in a nutshell. If you feel we’ve missed anything out, please get in touch via the comments form below or email us at berenadeservedbetter@outlook.com. When and where must I file? The complaint must be filed within 30 working days after the show airs. Therefore, a […]

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Thank you for the music, Bernie Wolfe

Posted on 20 July 201920 July 2019by #BDB
Cheers, Bernie

(Guest post by Payal. Originally published here.) I am writing this because Bernie Wolfe is dead. Or at least the powers-that-be at Holby City want us to believe that she might be. So, this is not about promiscuous bisexuals, or about dead lesbians (well, it is, but not in that way), or the fact that […]

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From here to eternity and back

Posted on 17 June 201927 June 2019by #BDB

(Guest post by CPR) About a year ago, I sat anxiously awaiting the demise of Berena. It was advertised that Bernie was returning for a brief visit to Holby and the trailers didn’t hold out too much hope. It had been a joy to see Serena still so in love with Bernie. The smile that […]

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The #BerenaForEternity Postcard Campaign

Posted on 7 June 20196 July 2019by #BDB
post card campaign rules

It’s been a year since Bernie Wolfe promised that she’d wait for Serena “for eternity”. It’s been exactly half a year since the exact opposite of that happened, and Bernie and Serena broke up over bins and slippers and swings. Where will Berena be a year from now, or even six months? We don’t know. […]

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Let’s talk about Leah Faulkner

Posted on 3 June 20193 June 2019by #BDB
question mark

(Guest post by Payal Dhar) Yes, we’re really going there. This is not about Serena Campbell, not about Berena. This is just about Leah. And it is important because Holby have a crappy track record of representing women. Leah was brought in as nothing else but eye candy for Serena; she was objectified and used; […]

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About us

(Read our founding principles and code of conduct.)

#BerenaDeservedBetter is a forum for people to voice their opinions about the representation of lesbian and bisexual women in popular culture and to take action to make storytellers and producers more accountable.

We set up this space spurned by the depiction of the couple popularly known as Berena in the UK TV drama Holby City, which is produced by the BBC, played by Jemma Redgrave (Bernie Wolfe) and Catherine Russell (Serena Campbell).

We are a group of people from across countries and timezones, across occupations and cultures and ages, gay and straight. Berena brought us together and touched our lives in different ways. We were promised a respectful representation but, in the end, we were given a mish-mash of the worst stereotypes about lesbians and bisexuals, and about women, not to mention about older women. It was wrong, and we decided we wouldn't be silent any more.

We invite you to join us in this campaign.

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