Paul Barry, the host of the ABC’s Media Watch has raised his eyebrows at Sky News reporting on transphobic horses.
Recently presenters Rita Panahi and Cory Bernardi both shared a two-year-old clip of police horses in London being spooked by newly installed rainbow crossing.
Both Panahi and Bernardi said the clip showed the horses being transphobic. In his weekly online Media Bites segment Barry took the two presenters to task.
It’s not the first time either of the news presenters have mocked or made outrageous claims about LGBTIQA+ people.
On Panahi’s other program Outsiders, they recently presented a segment claiming trans activists were calling for Aretha Franklin’s song (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman to be banned.
Panahi noted that the claim appeared to be from a parody twitter account, but co-host Rowan Dean pressed ahead condemning transgender people.
Back in 2019 Panahi said she wanted to be addressed as ‘The Queen of Sheba” and a “Persian Princess” in response to singer Sam Smith announcing they identified as non-binary and used they/them pronouns.
In recent appearances on Sky News Panahi has made a point of ignoring Smith’s they/then pronouns and has brushed off criticism that she’s deliberately misgendering the artist. Previously the presenter has also mocked recognising asexual people.
When Sky New first launched Cory Bernardi’s program it was touted as a deep insight into politics from the former Liberal member.
Over the years his show has seen him tackle hard hitting topics including Mr Potato Head turning gender neutral, he’s proclaimed asexual people are trying to terrorize Australians, been upset about a queer fashion trend from four years earlier, and claimed the Netflix show Sex Beasts is proof that his claims that same-sex marriage would lead to a breakout of bestiality were valid.
In 2021 Bernardi said a decision by the USA to allow people to have a gender-neutral option on passports was a “world first”. It wasn’t. Australians have had the option since 2011, and the change was approved while Bernardi was a member of parliament.
OIP Staff
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