Controversy over a journalist who "disguised" herself to report on the trans community: "I am Renata"

Journalist Daniel Malnatti produced a controversial report for TN. The reporter appeared dressed and made up as a trans woman in an attempt to "experience firsthand" the experience of that community.

The footage was recorded at the Gondolín Hotel, a historic shelter located in Villa Crespo , Buenos Aires, that houses vulnerable trans women. The story quickly went viral on social media, drawing criticism from users.

During the segment, Malnatti adopted the name "Renata" and shared a snack with some of the shelter residents. "Well, I'm Renata now," the journalist announced in the video, as she joined the group of trans women drinking mate and sharing personal stories filled with violence, discrimination, and social exclusion .

The report aims to highlight the difficulties faced by this community, whose average life expectancy in Argentina is around 35 years. However, the article was criticized for resorting to a practice considered superficial and stigmatizing: "putting oneself in the shoes of others" through disguise , instead of giving trans people a voice and a place to speak.

“@telenoche journalist Daniel Malnatti was dressed up so he could ‘feel’ what a trans person goes through. Hiring a trans journalist is never a good idea, right?” posted star and activist Bárbara Di Rocco, who published a clipping of the report on her X account. In an ironic tone, she added: “Or while he’s at it, let the police beat the shit out of him in Constitución, that way he can experience the whole thing.”

Hundreds of responses added to the criticism, pointing to a format considered "antique and objectifying." "He's already dressed up as a poor person, a slum dweller, a construction worker... all to show 'the people' what it's like to be 'that.' It's all a horror," opined user @peluromero.