We request that RTE reconsider their decision to air a segment featuring Father Ted creator, Graham Linehan on their upcoming Prime Time programme on trans issues in Ireland.

Graham Linehan is not a medical expert and he is not transgender. He has frequently expressed transphobic views in public and has used his social media platform to denigrate transgender people - so much so that he was visited twice by the UK police in relation to his online behaviour. He has also advocated against a charity that supports gender non-conforming children and their parents.

Ireland is a relatively safe and tolerant place for trans people and we feel that his hateful views have no place in our public discourse. RTE has a duty to present this issue in a fair-minded and balanced way and not to try and inflame a toxic debate similar to what is occurring in the UK.

The promo asks why has this not been an issue in Ireland? The reason for that is that we accept and support our trans citizens. We want them to be treated with dignity and respect and equality and we want it to remain that way.

Text by Aoife Martin