A billboard suggesting there was something "wrong" with transsexual reality TV star Miriam has been ruled offensive and "in contradiction of a person's basic human rights" by the Advertising Standards Authority. The offending advertisement was for Tui beer, and read "There's nothing wrong with Miriam – yeah right". Complainant J McKay said the advertisement was "offensive to transgendered people, their partners, their families and those that work closely with them. Transgendered people want to live normal lives and this type of advertising reduces their chances of doing so." The billboard referred to the British reality TV dating series, screened recently on Sky, called "There's Something About Miriam". Six men competed for the affections of Miriam, unaware that she was biologically male, although several contestants had had gay experiences and suspected Miriam's secret before the conclusion of the programme. Miriam told Queer Nation when visiting New Zealand earlier this year that some of the contestants made up a song with the lyrics "It wouldn't be a shock if Miriam had a cock", which they spent all of one day singing to each other. She says if she had ever been asked directly by any of the contestants she would have told them the truth. Dominion Breweries defended the advertisement as satirical, but advertising company OTW went further, saying: “Clearly there is a great deal wrong with Miriam and likewise with the writers and producers of the show Miriam starred in...any harm done to the transgender community has been done by Miriam, and should perhaps serve as a warning to other celebrity transgender persons - they will be judged on their honesty and integrity and if they wish to be accepted as normal then they need to not engage in fraud and deceit”. But the Advertising Standards Complaints Board concluded that the billboard breached the Advertising Code, “ridiculed a group of people who were trying extremely hard to become an accepted part of society”, and it “undermined any attempt by transgendered people to normalise their status”.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 17th November 2004 - 12:00pm