| Paddy Power Plays Down Cheltenham Ladies Day TV Ad Controversy |
Irish bookmaker Paddy Power was this week denying that its new television advert based on Cheltenham Ladies Day is offensive and should not have been commissioned.The new television advert quotes a Facebook post from a fan of Paddy Power who says he cannot wait to see some of the beautiful ladies at Cheltenham Ladies Day. Paddy Power then states it is going to make things interesting by throwing in some transgender individuals and the punter has to guess which ones are stallions or mares.
The advert then shows a series of women at the horseracing event with the commentator guessing whether they are a man or a woman.
It has sparked controversy with some people claiming it is sexist, transphobic and homophobic. Paddy Power has denied this by stating that the controversy is just a storm in a tea cup.
Feminist blogger Stephanie Stevens said "By suggesting that transwomen should be sought out & openly identified as men, your advert not only shows a gross misunderstanding of gender identity, it is inciting viewers to transgender bullying & hatred."
Paddy Power said the advert was intended to be purely light hearted and that several members of the transgender community were used in the advert and had no complaint regarding the content. The advert was also successfully approved to air by the UK TV vetting body Clear Cast.
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