The presenter calls gender non-binary identity “a fad” while Fox pleads with him to “stop fearmongering”.
Non-binary couple Fox Fisher and Owl Stefania went on Good Morning Britain today to discuss gender identity with Piers Morgan. What could go wrong?
The couple, who both identify as gender non-binary, challenged his binary views, as his co-host Susannah Reed watched on.
Fox was assigned female at birth, and then transitioned to male, before coming out as non-binary. Owl, who was assigned male at birth, explained their gender identity:
“I sort of denounce the idea of being a man or a woman. A non-binary is an identity on its own outside of this binary.”
Fox and Owl urged Piers to stop dealing with this topic as “a hypothetical intellectual discussion” when 48% of trans youth are attempting to commit suicide. Fox added, “This is our lives, this is every day, not just a four minute segment.”
Owl made themselves clear:
“It’s not about being cool, it’s about an inner sense of self and an identity that you identify with.”
Piers asked if the whole concept of non-binary gender identity is “gobbledigook”. Fox said it isn’t and Owl added, “It’s about respect.”
Owl clarified the situation for Piers:
“It’s not about erasing gender. Nobody’s saying that people cannot be men or women, we’re saying that people can also be non-binary and gender needs to expand.”
Watch the clip in full here.
Presenter, writer and trans rights activist Paris Lees was among the viewers who took to Twitter to respond.
@UglaStefania @theFoxFisher If you admired Davie Bowie for breaking down gender boundaries you should fully support people, like Fox and Owl, who identify as non binary
— Paris Lees (@parislees) May 17, 2017
A spokesperson from Stonewall told us:
“Piers Morgan’s bigoted and transphobic comments about nonbinary people are deeply damaging and offensive. No one has the right to deny another person’s gender identity, and to mock them for trying to live an authentic life is a form of bullying and completely unacceptable.”
