Foreign and Commonwealth Office, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The committee that oversees the commercials believes that a radio spot on the Transgender Netwerk Nederland bill was unnecessarily offensive: In the spot on Gendertwijfel.nl, which was heard earlier this year, a woman said: “My daughter can register as a man. Our son as a woman. This is also possible under the age of sixteen. Gender is not a choice
The commercial was a response to the bill stating that an expert’s statement is no longer required to change gender on a birth certificate. The age limit of sixteen will also be abolished: in June, the parliament will discuss the bill.
The advertising code committee now rules that the commercial was unnecessarily offensive, says Transgender Network Nederland, which together with the organization WOMEN Inc. has raised the issue.
The committee stresses that it is a vulnerable group, “that is to say (young) transgender people”. “While it is clear that the woman expresses her opinion, she does so in a tone that can only be understood as mocking, indignant, condescending and contemptuous.”
The guarantor has rejected all kinds of other objections to advertising by Gendertwijfel.nl, but recommends against advertising in this way in the future: “A broad freedom of expression applies to the promotion of ideas that contribute to social and political debate. And in assessing whether freedom of expression should be restricted, the committee adopts an (extra) moderate attitude,” writes NU.