A German podcast was ordered by a court to delete an episode after the hosts referred to a transgender-identifying biological male as “a man” and used male pronouns when speaking about him.
The episode of the podcast "Hoss and Hopf," hosted by Kiarash Hossainpour and Philip Hopf, discussed Laura Holstein, a biological male formerly known as Nicholas who identifies as female. Holstein, a balding male, has gained attention over several months for demanding access to female-only spaces, such as a women's gym, with support from the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency.
The Frankfurt am Main Regional Court ordered the podcasters to remove the episode in which they spoke about Holstein. Additionally, both Hossainpour and Hopf were prohibited from referring to Holstein as a man.
Hossainpour took to X to comment on the issue, posting the court order that prohibits the podcast hosts from “distributing, publishing or having third parties distribute or publish” statements that refer to Holstein as a man, despite his biological sex.
“Our podcast episode about the legal drama of a person who was born biologically male but wanted to go to a women's gym - with the support of the Independent Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination - is now offline,” Hossainpour stated. “The reason? A decision by the Frankfurt am Main Regional Court that redefines the boundaries between biology, identity and law.”
“In an expedited procedure, without an oral hearing, the court ruled in favor of the applicant, a transgender woman. Why? Our repeated designation as a ‘man’ was considered a violation of her personal rights, since she is ‘legally and socially recognized as a woman,’” he added.
He also criticized the court's urgency in handling the case, highlighting how the court believed that the use of biologically correct terms represented an “immediate danger that could not be delayed.”
“This creates a fascinating dilemma: In Germany, a person who was born biologically male and is legally considered a woman can no longer be called a man. This is an expression of opinion that the court classifies as a violation of personal rights and even an attack on human dignity and sanctions it in an expedited procedure,” Hossainpour determined.
The podcast hosts are also facing a €250,000 fine for violating German law and could spend up to six months in prison if the fine is not paid, according to Reduxx.
In response to the court order, the episode has been deleted. However, Hossainpourt and Hopf are considering whether or not they should appeal this act of censorship.
