Zoolander 2 faces boycott for ‘offensive’ transgender character

MORE than 8000 people have signed a petition to boycott the upcoming Zoolander sequel because of its ‘cartoonish mockery’ of an androgynous character.

Why Zoolander 2 is facing a boycott

ZOOLANDER 2, the long-awaited sequel to the hilarious 2001 comedy, is already copping criticism — and it hasn’t even been released yet.

The trailer for the film, which stars Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, was released a few days ago and some people are not impressed.

One of the characters, a new addition called “All”, has come under fire for making a mockery of “androgyne/trans/non-binary individuals”, reports the Independent.

Played by Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, All is an androgynous model who is introduced in the two-and-a-half minute trailer as “the biggest supermodel in the whole world”.

Controversial ... The androgynous character in Zoolander 2 is causing outrage. Picture: Paramount

Upon meeting All, Ben Stiller’s character, Derek Zoolander, asks, “Are you like a male model or a female model?” To which All replies, “All is all.”

Hansel (played by Owen Wilson) then clarifies, saying, “I think he’s asking is do you have a hot dog or a bun?”

The question elicits a giggle from All, who then mutters “oops”.

One outraged viewer, Sarah Rose, has created an online petition calling for the film to be boycotted.

She writes: “In the Zoolander 2 trailer, an androgynous character played by Benedict Cumberbatch is asked by Zoolander and Hansel if he is a ‘male or female model,’ and if they ‘have a hot dog or a bun.’ Additionally, Cumberbatch’s character is clearly portrayed as an over-the-top, cartoonish mockery of androgyne/trans/non-binary individuals.”

Ms Rose suggests the portrayal is “the modern equivalent of using blackface to represent a minority”.

Blue Steel ... Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller in Zoolander 2. Picture: Paramount

She says filmmakers should have used a real trans/androgyne model, such as Andreja Pejic, in the film instead.

“By hiring a cis actor to play a non-binary individual in a clearly negative way, the film endorses harmful and dangerous perceptions of the queer community at large,” Ms Rose adds.

Through signing the petition, Ms Rose is hoping to tell “Paramount Pictures, Ben Stiller, and Benedict Cumberbatch that mocking ransgender/androgyne/gender fluid individuals is not okay.”

So far, the petition has more than 8,000 signatures from people worldwide.

Zoolander 2 is scheduled to be released on February 11, 2016.

Really, really ridiculously good looking ... Derek Zoolander and Hansel walk the runway at the Valentino Fashion Show during Paris Fashion Week in March, 2015. Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images For Paramount Pictures