Video: Ofcom rejects complaints from bystander in My Transsexual Summer
Ofcom has rejected a complaint from a man who claimed the way his appearance in My Transsexual Summer was edited made him look ‘disgusted’ by the participants.
Digital Spy reports the result of complaints lodged by Paul Greaves that his privacy was invaded and the programme made it appear that he was looking on with ‘disgust’ at the group.
The participants in Channel 4’s My Transsexual Summer had gone to a bowling alley in the episode which aired last year.
Programme-makers edited footage of the visit with clips of other patrons of the venue looking on.
Mr Greaves believed the way the sequence was put together made him appear “disgusted”, and claimed his privacy had been “unwarrantably infringed” by the documentary.
Just before Mr Greaves appeared on screen, participant Drew Ashlyn Cunningham has spoken of her concerns and the narrator had said: “Tonight Drew will have the support of her new friends to draw on but the bright lights of the bowling alley are no help when trying to pass in public.”
As fellow participant Donna Whitbread collects her shoes and discusses the size of her feet, Mr Greaves is shown looking on.
He said he is “very open-minded” and was “deeply upset” at his portrayal.
Rejecting his complaints, however, Ofcom said the crew had sought permission for filming people in the bowling alley and judged that he did not appear “disgusted” in the episode.
The regulator’s decision said: “In Ofcom’s opinion, viewers of this footage would have regarded Mr Greaves as simply one of many people who had come to the bowling alley for an evening out and who were naturally curious about the filming that was taking place in front of them and possibly about the transgender contributors who were being filmed.
“Ofcom also observed that the rest of the programme made it clear that although Drew had been concerned about going to the bowling alley because she feared the potential reaction to her by members of the public she had found the experience to be very positive.
“Taking account of the factors noted above Ofcom concluded that the programme did not imply that Mr Greaves was ‘totally disgusted’ with the transgender individuals who were visiting the bowling alley or that he had any adverse reaction to them.”
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