TalkTV’s transphobic hate breaks broadcasting law

Content warning: transphobic hate

A Good Law Project investigation has revealed that Rupert Murdoch’s TalkTV is breaking broadcasting law with a tide of transphobic hate.

Over the past four weeks the channel has discussed trans issues 11 times, with presenters and guests unleashing a torrent of toxic views.

On 21 June, Alex Phillips suggested that trans rights groups know that “giving children puberty blockers was evil”, while ten days later Kevin O’Sullivan accused a trans woman of wanting to “pretend that he’s a female”. And on 9 July, Julia Hartley-Brewer claimed that “by definition, if you’ve had to get a piece of paper to say that you are a woman, you must accept then that you are a man”.

This procession of hateful ideas was broadcast almost entirely unchallenged. And while four hosts and a series of 11 guests declared anti-trans views, the channel didn’t invite a single person to these discussions to support trans people.

According to Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code, channels must show “due impartiality” when talking about subjects of “political controversy” and “current public policy”. And the backlash against trans people has put issues that affect them at the top of the political agenda. But TalkTV has pumped out a flood of transphobic hate without giving space to a single trans voice.

Good Law Project has filed a formal complaint to Ofcom over this flagrant breach of broadcasting law, and launched an online tool for supporters to add their own complaint as well.

Good Law Project’s head of campaigns, Agustina Oliveri, called on people to “come together to resist transphobic hate”.

“Ofcom has been turning a blind eye while TalkTV blatantly breaks the law,” Oliveri said. “The far right can only spread its toxic lies because of platforms backed by billionaires like Rupert Murdoch. We need to put pressure on the regulator to make sure transphobic hate can never go unchallenged.”