‘Friends’ Co-Creator Apologizes Over Misgendering Character

Marta Kauffman, co-creator of the hit ’90s sitcom “Friends,” said this week that it was “a mistake” that the show repeatedly misgendered a transgender character. Kauffman, during an interview on BBC World Service’s “The Conversation,” discussed how the character ― a transgender woman played by Kathleen Turner ― was continually referred to as Chandler’s “father.” Advertisement “Pronouns were not yet something that I understood,” Kauffman said. “So we didn’t refer to that character as she. That was a mistake.” The character, who performs as drag queen Helena Handbasket, first appears in a 2001 episode in which Monica takes Chandler to… Read Full Article