LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In this week's installment of the 'Armchair Expert' podcast, host Dax Shepard engaged in a passionate and intense discussion concerning transgender rights and gender-affirming care with his guest, Jonathan Van Ness.
Van Ness, who identifies as nonbinary and welcomes the use of any pronouns, had originally intended to delve into topics related to their podcast and Netflix series 'Getting Curious' during the conversation with Shepard.
However, it took a turn when Van Ness posited that besides being famous, conservative ideologies and viewpoints are often rooted in a deficiency of education, leading to Shepard taking an opposing stance, contending that individuals aligned with right-wing perspectives simply possess a "difference of opinion."
Why is Dax Shepard famous?
According to PEOPLE Magazine, Dax Shepard is an accomplished actor, comedian, filmmaker, and podcast host who catapulted to prominence in 2003 through his participation in the Ashton Kutcher-led prank show, 'Punk'd'.
During the podcast, Shepard said, "Do I wish that the trans woman athlete had access and could play and follow her dream? I do," continuing, "Will I elevate her rights over women? We’re pretending that women aren’t the ultimate marginalized class throughout history."
"I could just cry because I’m so tired of having to fight for little kids because they just want to be included," stated Van Ness in response, as they were heard audibly shedding tears.
They continued, "I wish that people were as passionate about little kids being able to be included or grow up as they were about fictitious women’s fairness in sports."
What show does Jonathan Van Ness star in?
Jonathan Van Ness gained widespread recognition as the grooming expert on the hit Netflix series, ‘Queer Eye’.
Other than that, they're well known for being a part of the queer 'Game of Thrones' parody ‘Gay of Thrones’, and found further success as the host of the popular podcast 'Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness'.
In his Instagram post about the episode, Shepard made no mention of Van Ness' emotional moment. Instead, he shared pictures of himself and Van Ness along with a caption that read, "I’ve been a @jvn fan since Gay Of Thrones. Jonathan even convinced me to buy beard oil and green tint moisturizer."
Internet reacts to Dax Shepard and Jonathan Van Ness' heated discussion on trans rights
Soon after the said episode of the 'Armchair Expert' podcast went live, netizens flocked to provide their opinions, with many siding with Jonathan Van Ness.
One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, "This just gutted me. Johnathan’s pain is palpable and I understand his fear. This is a discussion we are going to have to keep having until no one has to live in the shadows. If your child or a friend is trans or queer, you may understand this. Be an ally."
Another expressed, "Why do cis people feel they have the right to talk about trans issues when they have no expertise beyond what the media outrage machine has fed them? They speak out about “grooming” when it is they who have been groomed to regurgitate misinformation. Also, FU Dax Shepard."
"this is bad from Dax Shepard. people like him doing the "we're just asking questions" bulls**t are insidious and I'm sorry that JVN had to sit through that exhausting and traumatic experience of someone trying to debate humans' right to exist," said one more.
People also left comments under Dax Shepard's Instagram post about the post, with a person writing, "I understand the need to have discussions about sensitive issues. I don’t understand having to find a middle ground when one side’s ask is just to exist. I hope this episode leads to some reflection."
"JVN was impassioned and brilliant in this episode and brought me to tears with the pure exhaustion of fighting for trans rights especially for the kids who just want to live their lives and participate in activities with their friends," expressed another.
They added, "I think Dax and Monica were unprepared for where this conversation went and they could have done a better job acknowledging the excellent points JVN was making especially in light of their own gender affirming hormone treatments ?Hopefully this episode provoked some self reflection and growth in our hosts. New level of respect for JVN."
