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22nd Feb 2021

Dating app issues statement after Graham Linehan allegedly set up fake profile to harass trans women

Melissa Carton

“HER is an app for ALL women,” they said.

While once Graham Linehan was well known for his popular TV shows including Father Ted and The IT Crowd, in the last few years he has become more known for a much more negative reason.

The 52-year-old TV writer has over the years lent his voice to the anti-trans community, attacking trans women online which eventually led to his Twitter account being banned.

Another account believed to be Linehan was set up under a different name spreading the same anti-trans messages but that too was deactivated.

Most recently screenshots from a women’s dating app have circulated online, as the photos contain what looks to be a fake account allegedly set up by Linehan.

In the screenshots, Linehan can be seen posing as a women and stated on the account that he is “lesbian/queer/questioning” and that he uses she/her pronouns.

According to Pink News, Linehan had been using the fake account to seek out women on the app that he felt were trans and exposing them on his personal blog.

Linehan shared screenshots of these accounts on his personal blog and said that they should not be on the app because they are not lesbians.

The app in question, HER, has since shared a statement. They did not mention Linehan in their statement.

“Let’s make this clear: HER is an app for ALL WOMEN and queer folx. It is not our, nor anyone else’s place to question or invalidate another’s identity.

We are here for ALL WOMEN, including the trans community.

Please be assured this user will be found and removed from our platform.”

HER also said that they will be in contact with the blog platform host to have the content taken from their dating app removed as it is a violation of privacy.