More than 40 civil rights, free expression, and LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, including GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, PEN America, PFLAG National, and Lambda Legal, are pushing back against a new inquiry from the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission. The inquiry could lead to warning labels for television content featuring transgender and nonbinary people. This joint filing warns that the proposal risks stigmatizing queer representation on screen and frames LGBTQ+ identities as inappropriate for general audiences.
The FCC notice, issued April 22, asks whether existing TV ratings should include alerts for transgender and gender non-binary programming or the discussion or promotion of gender identity themes. It also asks whether such content should be rated differently or contain relevant descriptions so that parents can make informed decisions.
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis called the inquiry “dangerous and a threat to our community and our democracy.” Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said, “The Trump administration does not get to use the FCC to try and erase us.” The Commission will continue accepting public comments on the proposal through June 22.
