LGBTQIA+ Group Calls For Ban Of Fox News In Canada After Anti-Trans Comments
An LGBTQIA+ group in Canada has written an open letter urging the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to ban Fox News from the country’s cable networks after host Tucker Carlson’s “horrifying” anti-trans comments.
Egale Canada criticised Carlson’s comments following a mass shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, in March. The open letter accused Carlson of painting the entire trans community as “violent and dangerous” after it emerged that the shooter was trans. On an episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight, the Fox News host claimed that “the trans movement is targeting Christians, including with violence”.
Tucker Carlson, Fox News
In the letter, Egale Canada’s Executive Director, Helen Kennedy, accused Fox News of violating Canadian broadcasting standards and stoking resentment against the LGBTQIA+ community through misinformation. The letter also urged the CRTC to investigate whether Fox News violates Canada’s broadcasting standards and hold a public consultation on removing the Murdoch-family-owned station from the list of authorised channels.
Misinformation And Stoking Resentment
The letter reads; “This programming is in clear violation of Canadian broadcasting standards and has no place on Canadian broadcasting networks. Carlson made false and horrifying claims about 2STNBGN people, painting them as violent and dangerous.” The letter also accused the segment of “stoking resentment” against the LGBTQIA+ community through misinformation, including that trans people are given preferential treatment in employment and other opportunities.
According to the letter, Carlson’s inflammatory and false claim that trans people are “targeting” Christians is an incitement of violence against trans people. Egale Canada called for a serious conversation about the broadcasting of Fox News in Canada, given the rising levels of anti-trans hate around the world and the potential for segments like the one recently aired on Fox News.
Carlson’s History Of Anti-LGBTQIA+ Comments
Tucker Carlson has a long history of making anti-LGBTQIA+ comments. He has accused United States transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg of lying about being gay and described healthcare officials providing gender-affirming care as “criminals”. Last month, he described trans people carrying guns for self-defence, in light of attacks from hate groups, as “political hysteria”. He was widely criticised for his remarks, having previously defended gun ownership.
