HBO "Real Time" host Bill Maher was buried under an avalanche of criticism on Saturday after using his Friday night closing comments to ridicule trans kids and their need for gender-affirming care, saying they are only doing it because it's more "trendy" than being gay.
After suggesting the "LGBT population of America seems to be roughly doubling every generation," Maher added, " According to a recent Gallup poll, less than 1% of Americans born before 1946, that's Joe Biden's generation, identify that way, 2.6% of Boomers do, 4.2% of Gen X, 10.5% of Millennials and 20.8% of Gen Z, which means if we follow this trajectory, we will all be gay in 2054."
He then glibly joked, "If this spike in trans children is all biological, why is it regional? Either Ohio is shaming them or California is creating them," before making a few more crude comments.
Response to the HBO hosts' comments were quick -- including controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) applauding his comments -- but the bulk of comments slammed the comedian for making trans kids the butt of a joke.
As former U.S. House candidate Briana Wu put it, "Reasonable people can have concerns on trans issues. Had conversation with friend yesterday who found phrase 'birthing people' dehumanizing. Reasonable. But for Bill Maher to frame trans children as 'trendy' while states are banning trans healthcare? It's just transphobia."
Former Buzzfeed LGBT news editor Patrick Strudwick responded, "Bill Maher always set my inner warning bells off. His feeble, unfunny attacks on queer and trans people this week are exactly what happens when your 'liberal' sensibilities never venture beyond your own smug privilege. When you either don't do the work or don't have the heart."
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