Friends creator claims show used incorrect pronouns in Chandler's transparent story

Friends' co-creator in 1990s US sitcom Friends admitted that it was a mistake not to use the correct pronoun for Chandler’s transgender parent.

Friends creator claims show used incorrect pronouns in Chandler's transparent story

Friends' co-creator in 1990s US sitcom Friends admitted that it was a mistake not to use the correct pronoun for Chandler’s transgender parent.

Marta Kauffman stated that she regrets being portrayed as the character by Kathleen Turner.

She said, "We kept referring her to Chandler's dad, even though Chandler was trans."

"Pronouns weren't yet something I understood. We didn't refer as she to this character. This was a mistake.

Kauffman spoke to The Conversation on BBC World Service in an interview that will be broadcast on July 11.

Turner was seen in three episodes of season seven, which aired in 2001.

Her character was the subject of many jokes, including Matthew Perry's Chandler, and his mother about her gender identity.

Turner stated in a 2018 interview that she would not accept the role again if offered and would rather leave it to trans women.

She said that Friends elements had not aged well and pointed out confusion about whether the character was a drag Queen or trans woman.

She told the Gay Times, "People thought Charles was just dressing up."

Although the character wasn't explicitly identified as transgender in the program, he was referred to as gay. He is also shown in Las Vegas as Helena Handbasket, a drag artist.

Kauffman is also the creator and host of Grace and Frankie on Netflix. She said that she would change things if she were working on Friends.

She spoke out about an incident that occurred on the set of a TV program and said she had "fired a guy for making a joke about transcamerapersons".

She continued by saying that Friends did not have enough representation for black people and that she was part of the systemic racism in our company.

She said that she was unaware of it, and that makes her feel stupid. I get emotional about.

"If I had known then what I now know, I would have made certain changes." They were not my knowledge, and I have since learned about them."

Kauffman had announced that she would donate $4m (PS3.3m), to Brandeis, Massachusetts to create an endowed professorship within the school's African American Studies department.

She told the Los Angeles Times that admitting guilt and accepting it is difficult. It's difficult to look in the mirror. It's embarrassing that 25 years ago, I didn't realize better.