The Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (Movilh) has formally requested that a complaint be filed against commentator Patricia Maldonado before the National Television Council (CNTV). The petition follows recent remarks made by the panelist on the TV+ program “Tal Cual,” where she used terms that undermine Congresswoman Emilia Schneider's gender identity.
Maldonado used offensive language when referring to the lawmaker while commenting on a viral video of the legislator in Congress. “He is a deputy, not a deputy [female], let's be clear,” the commentator stated during the broadcast.
Movilh expressed categorical rejection of these statements, describing the remarks as a “lack of respect that violates fundamental rights” and warning of the recurring discriminatory behavior by the panelist.
Responsibility of television broadcasters
The organization also pointed to the responsibility of the TV+ channel and other panelists, including Raquel Argandoña and José Miguel Viñuela. According to the group, the lack of preventive measures turns these programs into “accomplices in transphobia.”
This is not the first instance of tension between Maldonado and the congresswoman's gender identity. During the 2024 debate on the legal abortion bill, the commentator questioned Schneider's biology with phrases such as: “You can't menstruate, you don't have menopause, you don't have ovaries.”
Movilh emphasized that this type of content could violate the Gender Identity Law and the Zamudio Law. The appeal to the CNTV seeks to have the regulatory body evaluate sanctions and reinforce standards of pluralism and diversity within Chilean digital television.