The world famous performer Barry Humphries, the man behind the drag alter ego Dame Edna Everage, has gone on record to support his close friend, and transphobe, Germaine Greer, calling trans women self mutilated men.
During an interview with The Telegraph Humphries said that he agreed with the comments that Germaine Greer and her views on Caitlyn Jenner, that sparked controversy last year following an interview on BBC's News Night. Greer described Jenner, and by extension all transgender women, as men 'who believe that they are women and have themselves castrated'.
'I agree with Germaine! You're a mutilated man, that's all,' he told The Telegraph. 'Self mutilation, what's all this carry on? Caitlyn Jenner - what a publicity-seeking ratbag. It's all given the stamp - not of respectability, but authenticity or something. If you criticise anything you're racist, sexist or homophobic.'
These statements have already been met with outrage from the trans community and their supporters, with many taking to social media to decry his comments.
One such person to speak out about the content of his interview with the Telegraph is the BBC's leading transgender actress Rebecca Root. Rebecca has said that Humphries should either apologise for his comments, or be fired from his BBC radio show.
'If he retracts his statement then I'd say he's said sorry, and move on. But if he does a Germaine Greer, I'd say he's gone too far and the BBC should reconsider its position on giving him a show.' She said. 'It's rather disappointing for me as I've always likes Barry Humphries, and I've seen Dame Edna on stage. The fact is that this sense of humour resonates with the bad old days of Bernard Manning and Jim Davison; dinosaurs from the 1970's. It's very retrograde, and I hoped we'd moved on from it.'
Sadly it would seem the BBC has fewer morals than Rebecca, as a spokesperson has already said 'Barry Humphries is a freelance presenter for BBC Radio 2 and these are his personal views, which are not reflected in his radio programme'.
Amy.
xx
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