Work It Show

Work It has stirred up much controversy in the U.S. How different was the response in the Netherlands to Ollie Hartmoed's Palace of Draperies, a show I wrote and in which a transgender character plays an important part?

ABC could draw these two main characters into the transgender community, show the transgender experience through their eyes, include transgender characters played by genuine transgender actors, and make the show the transgender equivalent of Will & Grace.

The use of the image of two men in women's clothing at a urinal -- obviously in a men's public restroom -- will only further hate groups' contention that trans-identified women should not be allowed in women's public restrooms.

Work It is based on the premise that people who were born male but encounter challenges in presenting themselves as women is inherently funny. The problem is that some transgender women may find themselves in this situation.

LGBT people are only part of a long list of potentially allied minority groups that should be offended by this show: women, single parents, people out of work in this time of economic crisis, people of color, and more should all be cringing.

I believe that images like these only make it more difficult for transgender people to gain full equality, including the important right to access public accommodations appropriate to their gender identity.

The argument that there's nothing offensive about Work It is circulating the Internet, mostly with reference to the show's "tame" comedy predecessors (e.g., Mrs. Doubtfire). So what's the difference?