Video: Paddy Power defends controversial Cheltenham transgender advert
PADDY Power has defended his controversial advert that was screened at the weekend asking viewers if they can spot transgender men and women in an advert.
The bookmaker has pointed out that the TV advert which asks can viewers ‘spot the stallions from the mares’ in the reel of transgender race goers has received more likes than dislikes on You Tube.
“2150 people have ‘liked’ it on You Tube, and 1400 have disliked it,” Paddy Power said. “There has been an organised and conerted campaign against it, I’ve had hundreds of emails, but they are mostly just cut and paste jobs,” the bookmaker has said.
In the advert that promotes Cheltenham Ladies Day and screened on TV4, Channel 4 and Sky , the bookie promises to make the event more exciting by sending some transgender ladies along, and then asks viewers if they can tell who is a stallion and who is a mare as a parade of people are shown.
A spokesperson for the Lesbian, Gay and Transgender campaign queried if the people in the advert were actually transgender or hired actors. He accussed Paddy Power of transphobia.
'This was passed by Clearcast in the UK which checks all ads, so it is not offensive” said Paddy Power.
- Independent.ie reporters
