METEOR’S NEW television advertisement has lost it a few friends in Ireland’s transgender community, with Transgender Equality Network Ireland claiming the ad “negatively depicts transgender people by promoting stereotypes and encouraging a cheap laugh”.

The ad, created by Rothco, implores mobile users not to go "to the first bar you find with free wifi", advising them to "go to Meteor.ie" instead, where male customers won't have to endure such experiences as dancing with a very tall woman who, on closer inspection . . .

Concerned by what it regards as the use of transgender people as a punchline, the lobby group is encouraging people to “dislike” the ad on YouTube and complain to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland or to Meteor. It also draws a line between the ad and Paddy Power’s “Spot the stallions from the mares” ad, which was banned by the UK ad regulator.

“There is no doubt that advertising like this is exceedingly detrimental to transgender people and contributes to the stigmatisation and dehumanisation of trans people in Ireland,” the group says.

The Eircom-owned mobile phone company said it had not received any direct complaints.

“The actors used in the advertisement are professional drag artists and are not intended to portray or represent the LGBT community in a negative light or context,” Meteor said. It added that the male wifi user “does not look in any way uncomfortable or compromised by the fact he is dancing with the drag artist”.