Media Matters has compiled a montage of clips from Fox News where the anchors have openly mocked or disrespected transgender individuals on the air:
Fox anchor Megyn Kelly defended the trans community back in 2011:
The video highlights some incidents that clearly go against this sentiment:
In January of 2013, Bill O'Reilly and Megyn Kelly made a series of offensive comments regarding transgender inmate Michelle Kosilek during a segment on The O'Reilly Factor:
They both fail to refer to Kosilek with the gender and pronouns with which she identifies herself:
Even though the AP Stylebook clearly laid out the correct guidelines for this over a decade ago.
The anchors then went on to discuss her appearance:
O'Reilly: My question is, in the promo, couldn't they do a better job for a million bucks than this guy? Look, there he is. For a million you figure he might look like Annette Funicello or somebody. I don't know.
Megan Kelly: Listen, let's not forget.
OR: Yeah.
MK: He's in a male prison.
OR: Alright, but I don't think he's in any danger-
MK: I bet he looks pretty good.
OR: No. Even in a male prison, he doesn't. But for a million bucks, that's what we get? I don't know. Alright.
Earlier this year, Basic Rights Oregon launched a petition against Fox after the network used an image from Mrs. Doubtfire in a story about transgender health care.
In early June, Fox Radio reporter Todd Starnes referred to a transgender woman as a "burly man wearing a dress":
Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, wrote in a statement:
Media misinformation about trans people dangerously permits disrespectful and sometimes violent treatment of trans people. Perhaps worse, though, is that Fox News intentionally misinforms people on issues like trans health care and employment, playing to prejudices they know are outdated. Fox News cements transphobia among the public and, in turn, stalls progress for a community struggling for basic acceptance.
Aaron McQuade, director of news and field media at GLAAD, added:
At a time when the trans community faces such high rates of violence, unemployment and inequality, Fox News' pattern of dehumanizing and spreading misinformation about trans people goes against the standards of good journalism and instead gives license for continued violence and discrimination against a community that instead deserves support and respect.
Watch the compiled clips:
