Ricky Gervais, a British actor and comedian, has defended his newest OTT special “SuperNature,” which has received backlash from the transgender community due to a series of explicit jokes directed at them.

Gervais made many statements about the community in the hour-long show, which was published on the streaming site on Wednesday, that trans advocates lambasted.

GLAAD, a trans rights organisation, slammed the comedian for the programme, calling it “graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes.”

In an interview with The Spectator in the United Kingdom, Gervais stated that his jokes were not directed at “trans folk, but trans activist ideology.” The 60-year-old actor-comedian stated, “I’ve always confronted dogma that oppresses people and limits freedom of expression… It was probably the most current, most talked about, taboo subject of the last couple of years. I deal in taboo subjects and have to confront the elephant in the room.”

Gervais claimed humour is about “getting us over taboo subjects” in a separate interview with BBC One’s The One Show, he said, “I think that’s what comedy is for, really – to get us through stuff, and I deal in taboo subjects because I want to take the audience to a place it hasn’t been before, even for a split second. Most offence comes from when people mistake the subject of a joke with the actual target.”

GLAAD released a statement on Wednesday criticising the comedian for his “anti-gay rhetoric”  and distributing “inaccurate information about HIV.” The organisation said, “We watched the Ricky Gervais ‘comedy’ special on Netflix so you don’t have to. It’s full of graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes. He also spouts anti-gay rhetoric and spreads inaccurate information about HIV.”

Added, “Attention Ricky and Netflix: people living with HIV today, when on effective treatment, lead long and healthy lives and cannot transmit HIV to others.”

Netflix was also chastised by GLAAD for approving anti-LGBTQ content. In the statement, “While Netflix is home to some groundbreaking LGBTQ shows, it refuses to enforce its own policy in comedy. The LGBTQ community and our allies have made it very clear that so-called comedians who spew hate in place of humor, and the media companies who give them a platform, will be held accountable. Meanwhile, there are PLENTY of funny LGBTQ comedians to support.”

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