Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness has broken down in tears during a debate with Dax Shepard on trans rights.
During an appearance on Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast on Monday (September 25), the non-binary star got into a passionate discussion with the host after Shepard called The New York Times a "left-leaning" publication (via The Independent).
Van Ness claimed that the newspaper was "anti-trans". Shepard brought up the subject of the paper reporting on trans athletes and young people transitioning, asking Van Ness if "questioning" trans rights made someone an "enemy". Digital Spy has reached out to The New York Times for comment.
Related: Sex Education's intimacy coordinator opens up about the show's first trans sex scene
"I feel like I'm talking to my dad," Van Ness told Shepard before the pair began a long discussion about trans rights.
"I'm not calling you a transphobe," added Van Ness. "You can not be transphobic and still have thoughts that espouse trans misogyny and espouse transphobic ideologies and beliefs."
What to Read Next
After telling Van Ness he didn't want to upset them, Shepherd said: "I adore you. I think that you're hysterical and talented and I love that you're an activist."
Van Ness then began to cry, saying: "I'm so tired of having to fight for little kids because they just want to be included."
Related: Queer Eye's Karamo Brown wasn't invited to co-star's bachelor party
Calling it "a really difficult time right now", the Queer Eye star shared that they were sceptical of people "casually questioning" trans rights and that they weren't "disappointed" in Shepard, just "emotionally exhausted".
Elsewhere during the discussion, Van Ness also became emotional when telling Shepard that they "still struggle with my gender expression" and are "scared of the vitriol that trans people face every day".
Reporter, Digital Spy
Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
