‘Transphobic’ series pulled

US network ABC has pulled its cross-dressing comedy Work It which had been plagued by bad reviews and accusations of transphobia.

Work It followed two straight male characters who are fired from their jobs as car salesman and decide to pose as women to land careers in the pharmaceutical industry.

The show had only aired two episodes before being pulled by the network.

The US Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination (GLAAD) and Human Rights Campaign (HRC) launched a media campaign this month in a bid to stop the airing of the new television series they said mocked transgender struggles in the workplace.

GLAAD and HRC took out a full-page ad in entertainment industry magazine Variety, attacking the show.

“By encouraging the audience to laugh at the characters’ attempts at womanhood, the show gives license to similar treatment of transgender women…,” the ad read.

“Since ABC has a record of positive portrayals of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, they should know how offensive this show is, and that it even has the potential to jeopardize the safety of many transgender Americans in the process.”

The organisations also claimed the show could contribute to the high levels of job discrimination that transgender Americans face and will give license for people to mock and ridicule those whose gender expression might not fit with what society considers the norm.

ABC’s head of entertainment, Paul Lee, defended the network’s decision to air the show earlier this month, claiming that it made him “cackle with laughter”.

“Sometimes you pick up a pilot just because it absolutely makes you cackle with laughter, and that was the case with Work It,” he told journalists.

“I make absolutely no excuses for that show. We didn’t think this room would like it, and I don’t think we have a problem with that.”