HBO "Real Time" host Bill Maher was buried under an avalanche of criticism on Saturday after using his Friday night closing comments to ridicule trans kids and their need for gender-affirming care, saying they are only doing it because it's more "trendy" than being gay.
After suggesting the "LGBT population of America seems to be roughly doubling every generation," Maher added, " According to a recent Gallup poll, less than 1% of Americans born before 1946, that's Joe Biden's generation, identify that way, 2.6% of Boomers do, 4.2% of Gen X, 10.5% of Millennials and 20.8% of Gen Z, which means if we follow this trajectory, we will all be gay in 2054."
He then glibly joked, "If this spike in trans children is all biological, why is it regional? Either Ohio is shaming them or California is creating them," before making a few more crude comments.
Response to the HBO hosts' comments were quick -- including controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) applauding his comments -- but the bulk of comments slammed the comedian for making trans kids the butt of a joke.
As former U.S. House candidate Briana Wu put it, "Reasonable people can have concerns on trans issues. Had conversation with friend yesterday who found phrase 'birthing people' dehumanizing. Reasonable. But for Bill Maher to frame trans children as 'trendy' while states are banning trans healthcare? It's just transphobia."
Former Buzzfeed LGBT news editor Patrick Strudwick responded, "Bill Maher always set my inner warning bells off. His feeble, unfunny attacks on queer and trans people this week are exactly what happens when your 'liberal' sensibilities never venture beyond your own smug privilege. When you either don't do the work or don't have the heart."
You can see additional comments below:
Pretty good sign you’re doing it wrong Bill Maher pic.twitter.com/ft9WFPfQG2
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) May 21, 2022
Not sure what is worse:
— (((Howard Forman))) (@thehowie) May 21, 2022
That @billmaher actually made this laughable analogy about trans people.
Or that so many people uncritically accepted and amplified it. https://t.co/VXbJX6vSOb
2/ Anyone that knows parents of trans kids knows how seriously they take medical intervention. No parent is doing this on a whim.
— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) May 21, 2022
Maher is conflating non-binary kids with children who medically transition.
I’ve been watching Maher since the 90s. He’s always been a transphobe.
Bill Maher said kids are coming out as trans because it's “trendy.” Yes, what child doesn’t want to feel trapped in their body, told they’re mentally ill, have their parents arrested for supporting them, and possibly be killed by a bigot who Republicans then start a GoFundMe for?
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) May 21, 2022
