In one of the most cringe-inducing televised moments in recent memory, popular Aussie TV host Kerri-Anne Kennerley just went off on a shocking rant against transgender people.
Kennerley, who hosts the popular morning talk show Studio 10 launched into a horrifying rant over a proposed National Gender Center. The center has been pitched this week by Bill Shorten, who is running as the Labor Party candidate for the office of Prime Minister. The Labor Party has proposed the center as a means of educating the public about gender issues–including raising awareness of transgender issues with the broader public.
“I do think there’s an issue,” Kennerley said, apparently conceding the lack of education on transgender issues with the larger public. “But making a center, taking it out of the control of parents and putting it with a whole bunch of people who aren’t parents, is a recipe for danger. I’m a parent and I want an expert to take my child to. I don’t want some school educating my seven-year-old on transgender issues. No, you don’t. You’re the Labor Party — get out of my private life.”
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Kennerley then went on to express her disgust over the ongoing conversation about transgender issues. “These kids out there who are gender confused, and there’s a percentage of people out there gender confused, they will put up this Commission and we, like Tasmania, will have a child and it won’t be male or female, it will be gender-free.” Her remark refers to a recent statute in Tasmania that removes gender from birth certificates.
“That’ll be national,” she went on. “And if your child is confused, the rights of your child will go to them, you will have no rights as a parent. That child will go, ‘I want to be either a boy or girl, please give me whatever I need’ and you as a parent will have no choice.”
Australians have come to view Kennerley as their self-styled Queen of Daytime TV, having worked in television for more than 50 years. In addition to her work on Studio 10, Kennerley has waded into reality television with appearances on The Celebrity Apprentice Australia and Dancing with the Stars.
radiooutmike
Hmph.
“That’ll be national,” she went on. “And if your child is confused, the rights of your child will go to them, you will have no rights as a parent. That child will go, ‘I want to be either a boy or girl, please give me whatever I need’ and you as a parent will have no choice.”
Huh, giving a child what they need? As a parent? Has she looked at the job description of a parent lately? Or even ever?
Kangol2
The right-wing fragility and snowflakery knows no bounds.
Jack Meoff
This article overstates Kennerley’s appeal and influence. Studio 10 is the lowest rating morning television show in Australia on the lowest rating network and Kennerley is a washed up presenter who was dredged up because nobody else wanted the job. She has been off air more than on over the last 10 years and made more comebacks than Madonna.
Man About Town
Madonna has never made a comeback because she’s never been away.
OzJosh
Actually, Kennerley isn’t – as she claims – a parent. Except in that one of her husbands already had children.
Al
She’s also known here in Oz as Kerri-Ann Dogkennel.
batesmotel
Her rant would’ve been mildly acceptable if she indicated what she really thought of transgender people. Her silence on that spoke volumes. I agree to a point that when the person is a child they are not old enough to decide on their gender. No five year old is old enough to make mature decisions including on what anatomy they were born with. When they are old enough and know for sure, then support them in their transition WHEN they’re an adult.
theafricanwiththemouth
Agreed!!
dwes09
While not specifically anti-trans, she opposes something obviously intended to disseminate real information and remove stigma. And she (implicitly) supports a parent’s “right” to demonize transgender people, regardless of the identity of their children. It is exactly like the parents here who don’t want homosexuality or trans people mentioned in the schools because they don’t wan’t their children to “be taught that these are valid ‘lifestyle choices'”.