BUENOS AIRES, Argentina,

's Ombudsman for the Public has received 750 complaints in recent days against opinions expressed on television programs related to feminism, gender violence, and the rights of the LGBTIQ+ population.

The complaints condemn the on-air statements made by television host Viviana Canosa; Santa Fe provincial deputy Amalia Granata; and actress Carmen Barbieri about the transvestite, trans and feminist collective.

“We no longer position ourselves as victims, but rather we take an active part in demanding justice and reparations for these types of attacks,” transgender communicator Victoria Stéfano Presentes .

Among the attacks, the provincial legislator held in an interview on the program “Mañanísima” (Ciudad Magazine) and “LAM” (América TV) a series of opinions that “promote or incite discriminatory treatment”, the complaints to the Ombudsman for the Public .

“There are kids who don’t eat, who live in absolute poverty; there are priorities. Trans people aren’t incapable of working; they have feet, hands, a brain. Trans people have privileges,” Granata had said during the program hosted by Ángel de Brito on March 16.

Furthermore, she pointed out: “You are trans, you have no incapacity to go to work and pay for your hormone therapy yourself. We, as the State, cannot pay for it when they can go to work without any problem.”

“As a mother, I tell her that being trans is not a privilege.”

Graciela Puchetta is the mother of Tiziana, a 14-year-old trans girl , and the secretary of families and childhoods for the LGBTIQ+ League of the Provinces . When she heard the congresswoman's comments, she wanted to condemn them.

“She (Tiziana) is a beneficiary—if you can call it that—not of the hormones, but of the inhibitors. Even though she has our full support, we as parents couldn't afford that treatment as Granata intends. I'm just a housewife and her father is self-employed. It's impossible for us to afford,” she told Presentes .

And she addressed the legislator directly: “As a mother, I tell you that being trans is not a privilege. You seem to have no idea what trans people suffer, what we struggle for and what we endure. This is so that future generations of trans people don't suffer as my daughter did, which was nothing compared to previous generations.”

On the show "Mañanísima," Carmen Barbieri had a conversation with the congresswoman for which she later apologized. In it, she said that the trans community "receives salaries" for being trans and is given "travel tickets." Granata added that they receive "free housing."

Viviana Canosa, pioneer of hate 

These speeches echoed those made by A24 host Viviana Canosa on March 8, International Women's Day. "Start by taking a bath, shaving, and going to work," she told those who had come to march.

In response to these statements, hundreds of users made Viviana Canosa a trending topic on Twitter, criticizing the television host. Furthermore, the Ombudsman's Office received 750 complaints against the remarks made by Granata, Berbieri, and Canosa.

The figure is very significant. The agency created by Law 26,522 on Audiovisual Communication Services to receive and process inquiries receives around 1,600 complaints per year.

According to communicator Stefano, “we have evolved in recognizing certain types of violence, such as in this case media violence. 

In this regard, she emphasized that a process is underway in which there is a new stance towards these attacks: “They will no longer be taken lightly or forgotten. We no longer see ourselves as victims, but rather we take an active role in demanding justice and reparations for these types of attacks.”

The complaints emphasize that the opinions of television presenters "promote or incite discriminatory treatment," as well as hatred and violence against the LGBT community.

Therefore, the complainants considered that television programs should not only apologize to women and transvestite and trans people, but also encourage the participation of these groups, to promote dialogue and eradicate stereotypes.

the actress and comedian, Flor de la V ; and the journalist Franco Torchia, among others, also publicly spoke out against these speeches

“Someone should tell the two of them (Granata and Barbieri) that trans people still die younger than they do and many jobs are denied to them simply for not being cis,” Dyhzy responded.

Meanwhile, Flor de la V made her response public during “Intrusos”, the program she hosts on América TV, and said that it was “hate speech”.

“When they talk about privileges, it shows a lack of awareness that our community has an average life expectancy of 35 years,” the host stated, adding that “80% of trans people are kicked out of their homes at a very young age” and then out of the education system.

“The State is not doing us a favor; what the State is doing for the first time in more than 40 years is a historical reparation,” he added.

An affront to freedom of expression

For his part, journalist Franco Torchia directed his criticism at the conversation between the legislator from the province of Santa Fe and Carmen Barbieri.

“Everything that was said there is completely false. And this is entirely my own opinion: it was completely deliberate,” he stated in an interview with “Todas las tardes” on Channel 9. He also acknowledged that the statements violate the Gender Identity Law and the Anti-Discrimination Law , as well as “pre-existing agreements in the national constitution and international agreements that govern respect for human rights.”

In response to this outrage by the Santa Fe legislator, I invite you to listen to the argument of @francotorchia_ . We respond to hatred and ignorance with ideas and struggle. https://t.co/yZ2tjaWOAc pic.twitter.com/zqnHUm3QAU

— Tomás Balmaceda (@capitanintriga) March 22, 2022

“No trans woman receives a salary simply for being a trans person. No trans person in Argentina has a free house,” she added.

She elaborated: “The overwhelming majority are completely expelled from their homes from the day they are born, or a few years later, or when they are entering adolescence and beginning to transition. They are automatically left out of all homes, even today in Argentina.”

In response, the legislator posted on Twitter that she had initiated legal action for "slander and libel" against the journalist.

“This is a public official intimidating a journalist and silencing a citizen,” Torchia replied, in dialogue with Presentes .

Old narratives, new platforms

According to Stefano, “we are facing a communication phenomenon very typical of this era, where this type of discourse reappears with a rather interesting force in terms of the virulence it provokes on social networks.”

“It’s a rather old narrative,” he added, “one that has little to do with the historical moment we are in.” However, he also acknowledged that it is not an isolated incident.

“We’ve been dealing with these kinds of people for a while now. I’m referring specifically to Agustín Laje, Viviana Canosa, and other figures who, by bringing back outdated and reactionary rhetoric, regain public standing, achieve a strong social presence, and then pursue political careers,” he concluded.