Another day, another dodging of responsibility by the BBC. Very pleased to see the amount of steam still behind holding them accountable for their blatant bigotry and shoddy journalistic ethics, though I wish the people under the boot weren't the ones being forced to shoulder the burden over and over again. Many thanks to everyone who's still refusing to give an inch to the proud, stubborn transphobes at the BBC.

You: "I am not complaining that Chelsea Poe was not included in the article. My complaint is that the author of the article lied about ever interviewing her." BBC: "So you're complaining that Chelsea Poe was not included in the article?"

For years people have called for media transparency, and the BBC has finally countered by being transparently bigoted. Excellent video Shaun, thank you

They responded to me almost exactly the same, word for word, and at first I was confused thinking I'd misrepresented what I was actually complaining about. Imagine my surprise when I looked back at the text of my original complaint to realise that, no, they just ignored what I said entirely.

Your second complaint was incredibly well-worded considering what they put in their mass response. Every sentence they wrote is, thanks to your powers of prediction, exactly the opposite of an appropriate answer to your complaint. You read them like a fiddle.

It might be worth pointing out that BBC and its world service is a global news source that's considered the golden standard of journalism in many countries. Their articles are disseminated right throughout the anglosphere, the commonwealth and places that might not be able to afford their own foreign offices. This is more important than just terf Island.

As a trans person seeing all the support people have for us is going to make me cry. Thank you all so much.

I swear every time I hear us trans people being mentioned on the telly or the radio I feel a bit growing in my stomach, but thank you for reminding me that there are people with platforms in the world that genuinely care about us

Absolutely incredible how transparent all of this is

This isn't a surprise to anyone who remembers Scotland's independence referendum in 2014. Not only did the BBC edit video footage during that event to make the Scottish Parliament look as bad as possible (they altered footage to show "reactions" to questions that the MP's did not give), not only did they directly lie about what those MP's said (on national news they claimed an MP "had no answer" to one of their questions, and they edited out the five minute answer he actually gave) but when thousands of people protested around the BBC's headquarters because of how one-sided and despicable the BBC was being, they gave the protestors no coverage whatsoever and pretended the protest wasn't happening. This is nothing new for the BBC. They are the British Fox news and that only becomes more obvious when their reporters let the mask slip and say things like "If Boris gets the majority he so rightly deserves", not to mention all the times they "accidentally" edit footage to make Conservatives look better and everyone else look worse.

Thank you Shaun! As a proud big cis sis of a lesbian sister and a nonbinary sibling, following your battle with the BBC and the response it's getting makes me deeply happy. I'm filing a complaint right NOW.

As a cis lesbian who is dating a trans woman I'm very ready to fight some transphobia, especially when it's coming from TERFS. I'm glad he's committed to holding the BBC accountable. It's really heart warming to see.

This coming in the wake of the BBC saying that they will entertain flat earthers, yet feel no obligation to not include interviews they have already conducted with trans people.

I'm a trans woman and I really love what you're doing here. Thank you so much. Please, everyone who feels like they want to do something, send the complaint.

FYI: You can submit a complaint even if you don't live in the UK!

I realize these sorts of things don't amount to much typically, but I do appreciate having a call to action from time to time to affect even minor changes, or to at least inconvenience people who might be able to affect changes so they can't say they didn't hear us calling them out.

I complained originally about the failure to adequately respond to Lily Cade's comments being implicit endorsement of them. They replied with some BS that had nothing at all to do with Lily Cade, I replied again, rather heatedly, and they sent me this: "We consider the decision to remove the contribution of one individual from the article, following comments made after publication, while acknowledging this and other issues with an update note to have resolved your complaint." Needless to say I escalated as soon as I read this incredible message.

Thank you for using your platform to stick up for us trans people!

Thank you for raising awareness about this. I'm a trans woman as well and people repeat the mantra that "trans rights are better than ever" but don't see articles like this or realize that transphobic views are baked into our psychology at a young age. Thank you for what you've done and are doing.

One thing I definitely didn't do when submitting my own complaint was change some of the text slightly and add my own, as doing that would make it harder for those at the BBC to filter out all responses that contain a certain sequence of characters, such as other ones inspired by this video. I would never do this, as I want the BBC to be able to respond to any complaints they receive easily, and do not want it to cause any trouble for them. ;)

I do feel sorry for the poor bot that’s having to send out these automated replies to Shaun’s ever escalating crus@de against the BBC’s tr@nsphobia. It’s just a wee little bot. It doesn’t know what’s going on. Then again, knowing this country and the BBC the bot is probably tr@nsphobic too.

I got to this stage of the complaint too and was genuinely pissed off by the tone of the email I recieved (almost a copy and paste of your one at the beginning). The complaint is about discriminatory reporting and lying by writers for the BBC and the best they can muster is an insanely passive-aggressive two paragraph email which doesn't even address the topic you had complained about. That third stage of complaints, in turn, barely even works, has a strict word count limit on the complaint box and tells you not to restate your argument - despite misrepresentation of your core criticism being part of the reason for a further complaint. Thank fuck the BBC is getting defunded, honestly.

I regretted not getting in a complaint about the article initially, but I'm glad there's an opportunity now. Thanks for rallying and sticking up for us, Shaun--it might seem like a small action, but this persistence matters a lot.

as a transwoman i really appreciate your commitment to covering this as well past videos covering trans issues and just the general way u defend the trans community. dryly and succinctly. big fan of the channel, thanks for bein cool shaun :,)

MrTardis pointed this out before: Impartiality sounds nice, but really, what matters is what’s true. News really shouldn’t be unbiased, it should be factual. You can’t unbiasedly present opposing views when one hates a group of people for just existing. Impartiality would platform Adolf Hitler in the same way as Fred Rogers. If one person is telling you it’s raining, and someone else tells you it’s not, you don’t stick your head in the sand and say: ‘They’re both equally valid, I’m impartial.’ You go over to the window, and see if it’s raining and then say whose telling the truth.

As a trans guy, and from one skull avatar to another: Thank you.

I can’t say I’m shocked by the cowardice of their follow-up responses, but Jesus what a farce. I missed my chance to send a complaint about the first article but I was more than happy to send one about the lack of protest coverage just now. I guess they think putting their fingers in their ears in the face of legitimate criticism is fine and not absurd and childish.

I just got my response - first sentence (followed by a few sentences to pad out the response) "Many marches and protests take place in cities around the UK and we're unable to cover them all". It must have been hard to focus on writing about the protests that happened that day with all that racket outside your building. It's hard to fathom anyone writing that sentence without seriously questioning what they're doing with their lives.

can't wait for part 10 when we really get annoyed and write extremely firmed worded letters

Ah yes just when I am about to sleep. Perfect timing.

You're not just standing up for trans people at this point. You're also standing up for rationality, logic, and reading comprehension.

I remember seeing a BBC personnel respond to the lack of coverage of the protests by saying "We don't cover ongoing protests" while they are covering another protest in another country that I forgot the name of. So yes, just extremely slimy behaviour from what is supposed to be a public broadcaster that holds others accountable for bullshit.

Very nice, very much enjoying your work, Shaun. My egg cracked around the time of part 2 of this series, I'm all in at this point.

Another Trans™ here chipping in to say thanks for continuing to bother them about this, and to help others bother them. I appreciate it. 💙💙

When I googled 'BBC protest transphobia', I didn't find any BBC coverage of the protest, but the very first BBC article that listed was a piece about how some professor accused of transphobia feels attacked by her negative public image. In BBC world, "impartiality" means giving a voice to one lady who feels bad about being called out on her hate speech, but completely ignoring several hundred people showing up to express how they feel attacked by the BBC's transphobia. What is there even to say smdh

Thank you Shaun, as a young person struggling with their identity, this means a lot.

Thank you so much for continuing to stick up for trans people and trans rights 🏳️‍⚧️💜🏳️‍⚧️

You're only a young whippersnapper in the field of complainifyin' to that there BBC, but take it from a veteran: there's a very Good chance they aren't being evasive, they simply have a stock response in the same way that call center employees do, and that response is " we acknowledge your complaint, but we are the BBC. If one of us is wrong, it's you." The culture in the BBC is a strange siege mentality that manifests in various ways, but the biggest conceit is that they hold their own council in all things, even if that means they have to spend several decades covering up the crimes of Jimmy Saville rather than allow outside agents - which would be the police in this instance - to pass judgment upon the corporation. It is a management environment that has convinced itself and its members that they are literally above the law.

Thank you for continuing this, the BBC can only drag its heels for so long. Worth saying that the protests outside the BBC would not have been possible without the tireless and dedicated work of Trans Activism UK, so please credit them, either in the inevitable next chapter of this saga, or in a follow-up addendum video.

I'm going to state my lack of surprise from a different perspective. For 20 years the BBC Complaints department has been outsourced to Capita. I worked for Capita on a different contract for several years, and this attitude absolutely sums up their approach to complaint handling. They see complaints as inconveniences to be fobbed off rather than genuine grievances which can be used for improvement. There's a good choice that whoever sent the responses to your complaints had no direct way of contacting the BBC or anyone connected to the article in order to properly handle it, because Capita like it that way as it enables cut and paste responses with a minimum amount of work done whilst maximising the number of complaints handled in order to meet contract targets. Please note, this isn't me letting the BBC off the hook at all. They keep renewing that contract with Capita, they put the article up and they are clearly aware of the problems surrounding it. All of those things speak volumes about the culture surrounding BBC News at the moment.

Thank you for sticking up for us Shaun.

I just got a response from the complaint about the lack of coverage. It stated: "Thanks for getting in touch with us. Many marches and protests take place in cities around the UK and we’re unable to cover them all. Decisions on which stories to report on, and the amount of time we spend on them, depend on a range of factors, including what other stories are around at the time. We know that not everyone will agree with our choices. With regard to our output in this area, as a public service broadcaster we explore a wide range of issues and perspectives. We have a strong commitment to impartiality, and this includes covering stories on any point of the spectrum of debate. Stories should be seen not just individually, but in the broader context of our wider coverage. We do not condone or support discrimination in any form." Obviously, this is piles of garbage. Time to escalate.

As a GNC lesbian, I really appreciate what you're doing here! I've escalated my complaint to the ECU and will get on sending a complaint about the lack of protest coverage soon enough. It's fucking exhausting and I have no doubt they're just hoping attrition will wear us away.

Ugh, the BBC sent me the exact same response you got (2:11) It's so lazy. I followed up with a complaint to the ECU, even putting in "Please let me know if you need clarification" because it seems they either cannot or choose not to understand.

Shaun, you are a herro for so amny people in so many countries to keep this up. BBC is used as standard for so many countries, so what you do is not just for UK trans people, but for trans people arround the world, bascily for all minorities in the whole world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Thank you for giving me a second opportunity to contribute. I didn’t last time. Thank you Shaun, and everyone who has been on top of this since the beginning. You’re genuinely appreciated.

update! just got my response: “Many marches and protests take place in cities around the UK and we’re unable to cover them all. Decisions on which stories to report on, and the amount of time we spend on them, depend on a range of factors, including what other stories are around at the time. We know that not everyone will agree with our choices. “With regard to our output in this area, as a public service broadcaster we explore a wide range of issues and perspectives. We have a strong commitment to impartiality, and this includes covering stories on any point of the spectrum of debate. Stories should be seen not just individually, but in the broader context of our wider coverage. “We do not condone or support discrimination in any form.” funny how they couldn’t find the time to report on the protest that happened directly outside their gates.

Yeah this is a pretty boss way to use your platform. It's really touching that you're this passionate about this transphobia. If anyone can stick it to the BBC it's someone trained in the art of pedantry 💖

As a Transwoman I'd like to say.....I'm so glad my family and I got the hell out of England.

Despite you failing to tell me what to do, I have decided to submit a complaint from across the pond. I added a little quip about the BBC expecting us to believe they are incapable of detecting protests happening right outside the window.

some people are sounding a bit down in these comments about what this will actually do and all that, but i think showing trans people that so many people care for them is equally as important as getting a genuine response from bbc - keep up the good work everyone

Just sent in a complaint to the BBC. Here's a copy of what I wrote: Recently, on the 8th of January, a protest was held in front of the BBC's Broadcasting House in opposition of the BBC's recent coverage of trans issues. The event was reported by many other news organizations, but was not covered by the BBC. The protest was in part responding to a recent article published by the BBC titled, "We're being pressured into sex by some trans women." This article has been widely criticized as being biased and transphobic. The protest was also about the BBC's coverage of trans issues overall. In response to accusations of transphobia, the BBC has defended itself by stating it has a responsibility to be impartial. This claim is undependable because the BBC is proudly not impartial in response to other types of discrimination, and this claim would be stronger if the BBC did not ignore the recent protests held about its coverage of trans issues. The BBC has thus given the impression that its claim of impartiality is nothing more than an excuse to publish attacks against trans people.

I'm glad to see you're banging on about this topic. It's important, even if I feel my stomach turn listening to what the Beebs has done from here in Canada.

I feel like this video is the equivalent of the "how many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?" clip from SpongeBob

as a trans person who’s been watching your content for years, i always have appreciated you for things like this. sending love.

I’ve been following coverage on this and your other videos and have went ahead and published a complaint. Thanks for all the hard work you’re doing platforming a good cause Shawn. I’ve a good friend who is Trans and it’s really saddening and angering to see this sort of blatant transphobia and bigotry in the State run newscast in the UK.

You know they're not hiding it if Shaun can convey the point in a sub 10 minute video

If this breaks their complaint record and they don't cover the recording break there should be a complaint about the lack of coverage over the complaint recording being broken.

Boy, they’re really digging in their heels on this-I guess they can’t publish an apology and a retraction, because that would trans everyone in the Commonwealth

My complaint: I am contacting you about the lack of coverage on the January 8th protest, in opposition to the BBC’s recent coverage of trans issues (particularly the recent article "We Are Being Pressured Into Sex by Some Trans Women"). The event was reported on by other news organisations, including The Gaurdian and Pink News, but curiously received no coverage by the BBC. This seems like a major oversight, particularly because the previously mentioned article was defended on the grounds that the BBC must be impartial even on "controversial" topics and cover both sides of debates. If the issue of depicting trans women as predatory and platforming hate groups like "Get The L Out" (an organization I and most other cis lesbians do not agree with or feel represented by) constitute one side of a debate, then the BBC must platform the trans folks and allies opposed to it.

Wouldn't be at all surprised to learn they had set up an automated one-size-fits-all response letter to all the complaints that even mention Chelsea Poe, without bothering to read or review any of them.

Shaun, using the Karen powers for good.

I've not even gotten a response from the first complaint. I cannot escalate it. This is truly pathetic coming from BBC.

When you said “you know what I am going to do…..I’m going to submit a complaint”, I could feel my serotonin release

Those were 2 minutes well-spent. Bit iffy that the BBC wanted my home address for this.

I really wanna do this but honestly I'm just so tired of this bullshit. the response we'll get will be more deflecting and woeful ignorance on their part. It's awesome this is happening and it'd be great if the complaints record was broken but I'm too mentally tired to receive another response that ignores the issue in my emails. I love what you're doing here though.

Shaun: IM NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT CHELSEA POE NOT BEING INCLUDED BBC: So about your complaint about Chelsea Poe not being included...

The level of reading comprehension of the BBC's complaints department leads me to believe they're staffed by anti-SJW KZfaqrs

Warning to anyone who writes further complaints - trying to use double "" (sometimes used in Nordics) as quotation marks seems to erase anything in between them... But also - hoping for the "new record" with the new complaints. :)

while i doubt 100% of viewers will go through with submitting a complaint, I decided it was worth moving my lazy ass over. hoping this stirs the pot

This is a really clever way of keeping people involved. Even though the first deadline has passed, it's never too late to make yourself a thorn in the BBC's side; when they're doing something this objectionable, there will always be opportunities and way to "get in on it."

I've gotten the final response they're willing to give. In their response to a complaint about their contradictory stance on discrimination, they claimed that the protest just wasn't as important as the protestors believe it was and that they can choose to publish whatever they want as part of their editorial judgement and that if I still have a problem to elevate the issue to the ECU. I've elevated this to the ECU, stating: "In a response to a previous complaint, I alleged that the BBC was being contradictory regarding their stance on discrimination, claiming simultaneously that they do not condone or support discrimination and that they are impartial on the issue of trans persons. In their final response to this complaint, the BBC does not address this blatant contradiction, instead choosing to discuss the idea that they can publish whatever they believe is newsworthy, which has nothing to do with my complaint. They also state that their decision to not cover the protest against the article 'We're being pressured into sex by some trans women' (which is also being investigated by the ECU) that was the subject of my complaint does not "raise the prospect of a breach of standards." This, too, is false. Sections 4.3.4-4.3.9 of the BBC guidelines discuss the coverage of controversial subjects and state that, when dealing with them, "[the BBC] must ensure a wide range of significant views and perspectives are given due weight and prominence, particularly when the controversy is active." A refusal to cover the protest in question is a violation of this standard, as it deprives the BBC audience of this significant view of the topic in question. This is doubly important, as the controversy being protested is currently active (as it is being investigated by the ECU). To this end, I am dissatisfied with the BBC's previous responses. I wish for the ECU to consider the above points, summarized as (1) the BBC has refused, repeatedly, to address the contradictory stance they hold on discrimination in this case and (2) the BBC is in violation of their guidelines regarding the coverage of controversial topics."

Thank you for doing this Shaun, my complaint has been sent off and hopefully we can break that record to draw more attention to this issue

As a trans person it troubles me to all hell we cant do more about this, but also hopeful that people like you call out the terrible things that these people do.

Just submitted my complaint, I have nothing to add but I want to thank you Shaun and many others who are also doing their part to stand up for trans rights. As a trans person from Canada, I deeply appreciate it. ❤🏳️‍⚧️

The idea the BBC can be impartial is absurd when you realize they have to bend the knee to whichever party is currently in power. That kind of conflict of interest all but guarantees sycophancy to anyone who is paying their bills. And as long as they can keep forcing you to pay the TV license it doesn't matter at the end of the day, they have already exercised what matters; power.

got this back "dear audience member thanks for getting in touch with us. many marches and protests take place in cities around the uk and we’re unable to cover them all. decisions on which stories to report on, and the amount of time we spend on them, depend on a range of factors, including what other stories are around at the time. we know that not everyone will agree with our choices. with regard to our output in this area, as a public service broadcaster we explore a wide range of issues and perspectives. we have a strong commitment to impartiality, and this includes covering stories on any point of the spectrum of debate. stories should be seen not just individually, but in the broader context of our wider coverage. we do not condone or support discrimination in any form. kind regards,   bbc complaints team "

I'm so thankful that you're using your platform to speak about this, from this random trans person. ♥

Complaint filed! It took under 30 seconds. Thanks Shaun! Amazing how brazen they were in pretending like they didn't understand you complaint.

Your dedication and passion for us trans people is absolutely awe inspiring and heartwarming. I absolutely love this so much

The fact that there is a video called bbc transphobia PART 3

Bless you for your work, Shaun

Thanks for keeping on this! Mad respect for using your platform to help make voices heard. I didn't get any responses to my first 2 complaints, so I'm really hoping I get something for my 3rd.

As the saying goes, if one side says it's raining and the other says it isn't, neutral and impartial reporting isn't giving both sides, it's looking out of the window and finding out.

breaking news: earth may be flat according to a recent survey complaint: the earth is very obviously not flat there's verifiable evidence that it's round. response: thank you for your complaint! unfortunately your claim that the earth is a petrial tiling stellated muoctahedron is invalid. your complaint is resolved.

The only Big Shaun I listen to

OMG! Could it be... Reasonablist Bear?! Genuinely as soon as I heard your voice I was like "wait I've heard this guy being a grifter before" and nearly quit the video, glad I stayed haha

Yay! I was so pissed that I only ran into these videos after the complaints deadline had passed, but this time I get to contribute!

Lol I was just rewatching the other two parts. Maybe we are in for six months of ranting after all, Shaun. Not that I mind. I’ll watch any video you put up

The response I just got from the BBC from sending a complaint following the template: “Thanks for getting in touch with us. Many marches and protests take place in cities around the UK and we’re unable to cover them all. Decisions on which stories to report on, and the amount of time we spend on them, depend on a range of factors, including what other stories are around at the time. We know that not everyone will agree with our choices. With regard to our output in this area, as a public service broadcaster we explore a wide range of issues and perspectives. We have a strong commitment to impartiality, and this includes covering stories on any point of the spectrum of debate. Stories should be seen not just individually, but in the broader context of our wider coverage. We do not condone or support discrimination in any form. Kind regards, BBC Complaints Team”

OK so I did get a response to my complaint, but similarly to the last time it is inadequate. Acting like other protests are more relevant to them even though this one is literally against them. Here is what they sent: Dear Audience Member Thanks for getting in touch with us. Many marches and protests take place in cities around the UK and we’re unable to cover them all. Decisions on which stories to report on, and the amount of time we spend on them, depend on a range of factors, including what other stories are around at the time. We know that not everyone will agree with our choices. With regard to our output in this area, as a public service broadcaster we explore a wide range of issues and perspectives. We have a strong commitment to impartiality, and this includes covering stories on any point of the spectrum of debate. Stories should be seen not just individually, but in the broader context of our wider coverage. We do not condone or support discrimination in any form. Kind regards,

Complaint submitted! Took less than a few minutes. Thank you Shaun for all that you've done regarding this ongoing mess

I always say "Hello Shaun" at the start of the video. Love your voice xD

This was my complaint if you want to mad libs it. "There was no BBC coverage of the protest held January 8th, outside the BBC’s Broadcasting House concerning media bias and transphobia. The BBC has defended itself against claims of transphobia by way of impartiality. This only holds water if they are, in fact, impartial in their coverage. Despite this, they failed to make any mention of a protest against themselves that was attended by several hundred people in the rain in a pandemic. This makes it clear that any claims that transphobia has to be covered are obvious lies as defences to discrimination. As the BBC recieves funding from the public, there is a journalistic duty to that public. The BBC cannot display this level of partisanship as a public company."

Shaun has declared a war against the kafkesque forces of BBC bureaucracy! Now on all seriousness, I really appreciate you going this far for us. As a non-binary trans person, it's incredibly important to me that coverage of trans issues isn't overran by bigoted articles calling us monsters, and it's specially heartwarming for me to see this type of overwhelming support coming from cis people. Thanks.

The response I got on my follow up to the original complaint was, "This is to inform you that although we normally aim to investigate and reply at this next stage of the complaints service within 20 working days (around four weeks), we are currently dealing with a higher than normal volume of cases." And so on. Basically, "We don't have time to deal with your complaint." Kind of interesting that suddenly they don't have time for it. I'll do this new complaint too. Good luck on the 110K!

Alright, I'm on board, here's my slightly different version: "On Saturday 8th January, a significant group stages a protest at BBC’s Broadcasting House, protesting media portrayal of trans issues in generale and the BBC's part in same especially. While other organisations covered the protest, the BBC failed to do so. The protest was in part a response to 'We're being pressured into sex by some trans women,' published on the BBC news site, which has been widely criticised as biased and transphobic. In response to accusations of transphobia, the BBC has defended its coverage of trans issues by invoking impartiality. This claim is dubious, but it would be stronger if the BBC did not ignore the protests held in response to its coverage of trans issues. After all, if the abovementioned article was simply a dutiful exercise in impartial coverage of a divisive topic, certainly such a commitment would entail coverage of the January 8th protest, also. As per your guidelines: "Due impartiality usually involves more than a simple matter of ‘balance’ between opposing viewpoints. We must be inclusive, considering the broad perspective and ensuring that the existence of a range of views is appropriately reflected. It does not require absolute neutrality on every issue or detachment from fundamental democratic principles, such as the right to vote, freedom of expression and the rule of law. We are committed to reflecting a wide range of subject matter and perspectives across our output as a whole and over an appropriate timeframe so that no significant strand of thought is under-represented or omitted. " How does the BBC's failure to cover the January 8th protest align with this value of impartiality? Does the BBC consider it "inclusive" to disproportionally cover 'gender critical' views while stifling trans voices? Or does this imbalance reflect the BBC's understanding of it's lack of absolute neutrality? If so, where exactly does the BBC position itself within the 'trans debate'?" Fully expecting a stock response and I'm sure I haven't worded it well enough to give them all that much extra work, but hey, all in all this might lead to an agenda item in an editorial meeting where someone has to spend 5 seconds thinking about what the fuck they're up to at maybe the most prestigious news organization on the planet.

I decided to hand write my own complaint, but when I submitted it, in the summary of the complaint, I saw all my lovely formatting (and paragraphs) wiped away. Fearing there'd been an error copy-pasting from OpenOffice, I re-entered the line breaks by hand. But the summary remained unchanged. Goodness, I hope they didn't code the complaint form to just dump everything into one paragraph. That'd be...dumb.

Trans rights are human rights, and human rights are non-negotiable

The BBC using "Most of our viewers are anti trans" is not a great defense imho