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Some people want Amazon to fire Jeremy Clarkson over his comments about transgender people
Reuters/John Sibley
Some people think Amazon should fire Jeremy Clarkson, the TV presenter who is working on a new car-based show for the web giant, after he made derisory comments about transgender people in a column for The Sunday Times.
Clarkson, who has built a brand around making loud, reactionary, over-the-top comments, described the decision to publicly change genders as a child or young adult as a "whim," relaying an anecdote in which he was "horrified" that a parent had "indulged" a child who was allowed to dress as a female.
The column said:
It's what kids do: dream impossible dreams. You don't actually take them seriously. You don't take them to a hospital when they're 10 and say, 'He wants to be a girl, so can you lop his todger off?'
(Clarkson seems to back-off at the end of the column, making his message somewhat ambiguous.)
The reaction to Clarkson from LGBT activists, especially on Twitter, was swift, with many calling for Amazon to fire him. A Change.org petition was created urging Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to take action.
The company has not yet responded to a request for comment.
According to Amazon's code of conduct, the company provides "equal opportunity in all aspects of employment" and "will not tolerate any illegal discrimination or harassment of any kind."
Reuters/John SibleyClarkson has potentially put Amazon in a tough spot.
According to reports, Amazon paid about $250 million (£175 million) for a new TV show fronted by Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond, who previously worked on "Top Gear." Clarkson is set to get about £10 million ($14 million) a year from the show, which will air on Amazon Prime. Clarkson has also appeared in a series of advertisements for Amazon promoting the Kindle Fire TV.
Clarkson was fired from the BBC after assaulting a producer, who later went on to sue the TV personality, accusing him of racial discrimination.
Matt Lucas, a performer who has produced hit TV shows for the BBC, tweeted that Clarkson was "your out-of-touch grandpa."
Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/691353521594105856
Batty, transphobic article by Clarkson in The Times today. He's like your out-of-touch grandpa.
Paris Lees, a British journalist and LGBT activist, also released a series of tweets condemning Clarkson's comments.
Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/691362882450296833
Parents aren't forcing kids to be transgender. The overwhelming majority of trans people have had to fight to be accepted by their families.
Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/691362168713908224
My father bullied me for years, hitting me and criticising me to try and make me macho. Trans kids need love and acceptance @JeremyClarkson
Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/691373638503759872
I will never, ever understand why some people use their time on this earth to make life more difficult for other people rather than better.
Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/691366732229971968
I'd also like to invite @JeremyClarkson to look at the 48% of young trans people in Britain who've attempted suicide https://t.co/JMBCWn68On
Others, tweeting directly at Amazon's official accounts, asked how the company behind "Transparent," which focuses on transgender issues, could employ Clarkson.
Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/691659280752250880
Confusing why @Amazon_Studios who produced brilliant @transparent_tv would fund hateful transphobic Jeremy Clarkson.
During his time at the BBC, Clarkson made multiple comments that were considered offensive, including about prostitutes, people from Poland, and Mexicans. Clarkson later apologised for many of his comments.
Reuters/John Sibley
The team was thrown out of Argentina during the filming of a special programme after people noticed that the license plate of Clarkson's car appeared to allude to the Falklands War, in which Britain and Argentina battled over the Falkland Islands. The war lasted two weeks, and nearly 1,000 people died.
Clarkson's new show, which does not yet have a name, is similar to "Top Gear," which saw the three presenters joking around, driving fast cars, and engaging in challenges, such as buying a Porsche for £1,500 ($2,000) and driving it across Britain.
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SEE ALSO: Everything we know about Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May's new show for Amazon Prime
