Father Ted creator Graham Linehan on trans rights - BBC Newsnight

Father Ted writer Graham Linehan says his online campaign against what he calls ‘trans rights activists’ has made him the ‘most hated man on the internet’. Subscribe to our channel here

The creator of the much-loved sitcom Father Ted says his views on trans rights have cost him work.

Linehan’s vociferous arguing online, including comparing treatment of gender dysphoric children to Nazi experimentation, makes him a very divisive figure in a debate already marked by toxicity and anger.

Linehan says he is speaking up for women who are being harassed and intimidated, but critics have accused him of being a transphobe abusing a vulnerable minority.

Currently, if someone wishes to have their gender identity legally recognised, they have to apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate - which requires a medical diagnosis as well as proof of having lived in that gender for two years.

Some argue the medical element should be removed and say there should be a system of gender recognition based on self-identification.

Sarah Smith interviews Graham Linehan in the studio and challenges him on the way he has conducted himself amidst the debate.

Newsnight is the BBC's flagship news and current affairs TV programme - with analysis, debate, exclusives, and robust interviews.