Piers Morgan reignited debate over gender identity and sexuality after asserting on X (formerly Twitter) that the “trans fad” is a “social contagion,” while emphasizing that homosexuality is not a choice but “a sexual reality”. His post on November 28, 2025, followed a contentious exchange with Tucker Carlson, whose recent podcast episode featured repeated use of an anti-gay slur while framing its usage as a free-speech issue. Tucker Carlson reportedly pressed Piers Morgan to say the slur on camera, citing a UK hate-crime case highlighted by The Daily Mail, and claiming that “you’re allowed to be homophobic if you want in a free country,” according to media coverage on November 28, 2025. Piers Morgan seemingly declined, arguing that offensive language is unnecessary when discussing women’s rights or the gender debate. The clash has since gone viral, sparking broader discussions on homophobia, censorship, and the rhetoric surrounding trans identities.More about Piers Morgan’s statement and the ongoing trans debatePiers Morgan’s post came amid an intensifying cultural fight over transgender identity. His phrasing seemingly aligns with a position he has repeated in interviews: that concerns over gender policy can be raised without resorting to slurs or demeaning language toward LGBTQ+ people. That stance resurfaced forcefully during his exchange with Tucker Carlson, who attempted to draw Morgan into a real-time test of his views on free speech by urging him to repeat the anti-gay slur central to a recent UK court case.Piers Morgan refused, arguing that the ability to critique elements of the trans debate does not require using language that targets gay people or other groups. When Carlson suggested he was avoiding the term out of fear of arrest, Morgan countered that he simply chose not to say it. According to some media reports from November 27, 2025, Piers Morgan later publicly clarified that his refusal had nothing to do with legal repercussions and everything to do with the word being “offensive to gay people.”Morgan’s position reportedly rests on a distinction he has repeatedly drawn: that while he believes certain aspects of transgender identity trends amount to “social contagion,” sexual orientation is innate. His critics reportedly argue that such framing risks minimizing the validity of trans identities, while supporters view it as a defense of biological categories and women’s rights.Tucker Carlson’s free-speech challenge and use of a slur The clash between Carlson and Morgan originated during an episode of The Tucker Carlson Show, where Carlson reportedly challenged Morgan to repeat the slur used in text messages by Elizabeth Kinney, a UK woman convicted of a hate crime and given a community order. Carlson framed the case as an example of overreach in British hate-speech enforcementTucker Carlson Network @TCNetworkLINKTucker: “Would you say the word ‘f****t’ on camera?”Piers Morgan: “No.”Tucker: “You don’t want to get arrested, do you?”Tucker challenges Piers Morgan to exercise his right to free speech to its fullest extent:Tucker Carlson insisted his usage of the slur was an act of defiance against censorship and denied being anti-gay, arguing that people should judge him by his behavior rather than the words he is “allowed” to say. He also invoked comparisons to reclaimed in-group usage of other slurs, drawing further criticism online.Piers Morgan pushed back, stating Carlson would not say the word directly to a gay person and that invoking slurs is unnecessary for making arguments about free speech or criticizing gender-identity activism. Despite Carlson’s repeated prodding, Morgan maintained that declining to use the word was simply a matter of principle.