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Jill Duggar's Husband, Derick Dillard, Slams Jazz Jennings, Claims "Transgender Is A Myth"

The star of TLC's "Counting On" said the trans teen was living in a "non-reality."

Jill Duggar has been on TLC for nearly a decade—first as part of the Duggar brood on 19 Kids and Counting and now, along with sister Jessa, on the spinoff series Counting On. But her husband, Derick Dillard, has sparked outrage by attacking another TLC star, I Am Jazz's Jazz Jennings.

Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 23: Jill Duggar Dillard (L) and husband Derick Dillard visit "Extra" at their New York studios at H&M in Times Square on October 23, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra)

Earlier this month Dillard, who also appears on Counting On tweeted about the transgender teen living a "non-reality"

"'Transgender' is a myth," he added. "Gender is not fluid; it's ordained by God.

When a commenter criticized Dillard's tweet, he responded that "I have nothing against him [sic]. I only have issue with the words and definitions being propagated here."

Though both Jennings and Dillard are network talent, TLC tweeted a statement to viewers that "Derick Dillard's personal statement does not represent the views of TLC."

But a day after Dillard's transphobic comments, TLC posted a photo of his newborn son, Sam, on the Counting On Facebook page.

"Wow. Way to try to deflect attention from their father's stupid tweet. Nice try," wrote one commenter.

"Sammy is adorable but I didn't believe his father could become any more pompous, self-righteous, and ignorant than he already was," added another. "But last night he proved me wrong."

Shortly after the incident Jennings tweeted that Dillard's comment was just another example of the hateful rhetoric she regularly faces. "Every day I experience cyber-bullying, but I keep sharing my story," she wrote. "Today was no different."

Other celebrities and LGBT organizations rallied to the 16-year-old.

Dillard and his wife were recently let go as missionaries for SOS Ministries in Central America, with an anonymous source telling The Inquistr that negative publicity about the tweet was a factor. (The family was also still struggling with Spanish, despite years of classes and several months in Spanish-speaking countries.)

The Duggars family has expressed many anti-LGBT sentiments since becoming reality show stars, from Michelle Duggar campaigning against LGBT protections in Arkansas to Josh Duggar being hired as director of the Family Research Council. (He resigned the post in 2015 after admitting to sexually assaulting young girls as a teen.)

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