Sarah Silverman denies that ‘sex-change’ pay inequality video is transphobic
Comedian Sarah Silverman has denied that a video as part of a campaign against gender pay inequality, in which she said she would get a “sex change” to earn as much as men do, was “transphobic”.
The video was posted by Silverman last week, titled: ‘I got a sex change to avoid the wage gap’, and was made in support of the Equal Pay Back Project.
Some accused Silverman of transphobia following the video, in which she jokingly chooses a penis, and agrees to undergo gender reassignment surgery, in order to earn the same as she would if she were a man.
A message posted online read: “If I literally got a sex change I would indeed find the work force far less friendly. The video wasn’t transphobic it was transignorant – never crossed my mind. But to my *unintentional* credit- people are talking about it & so begins awareness. Please don’t punish this cause because of my video. I certainly don’t only fight for causes that concern or benefit me and I expect the same of the vital trans community.”
Some critics have noted that transgender people in the US are statistically more likely to have a lower wage or live in extreme poverty, compared to the general public, and have called for the campaign to be more trans-inclusive.
The video is available to view below
