LONDON — Trans campaigners are criticising Jeremy Clarkson after he dismissed issues faced by the transgender community in his latest Sunday Times column.

The former Top Gear presenter recounted a story told to him about an 8-year-old transgender girl, who had been assigned male at birth but had been living as a female since age 3.

"Her parents had simply indulged this whim," Clarkson wrote in the Times in a column titled "Transgender issues are driving me nuts."

"As far as I was concerned, men who want to be women were only really to be found on the Internet or in the seedier bits of Bangkok," he wrote. "They were called ladyboys, and in my mind they were nothing more than the punchline in a stag night anecdote."

"I was told there are 650,000 people living in Britain today with some kind of gender 'issue.' Well, I just sat there shaking my head, because the simple fact is: there aren’t," he continued.

Trans rights campaigners have branded Clarkson's comments as "transphobic" and "evil."

"As someone who’s spouted racism, homophobia and sexism throughout his career, Clarkson’s damaging and ridiculous transphobic views come with little surprise," a spokesperson for LGBT rights group Stonewall told Mashable. "Vitriol like this shows how much work we have left to do –- and is extremely hurtful not just to trans people, but their friends and families, and no doubt most people with a moral compass."

Trans activist Paris Lees also took Clarkson to task on Twitter over his comments.

"Parents aren't forcing kids to be transgender," Lees wrote. "The overwhelming majority of trans people have had to fight to be accepted by their families."

I seldom use this word, but saying anything that might encourage parents of transgender children not to support those children fully is evil — Paris Lees (@ParisLees) January 24, 2016

"My father bullied me for years, hitting me and criticising me to try and make me macho. Trans kids need love and acceptance," Lees continued.

I'd also like to invite @JeremyClarkson to look at the 48% of young trans people in Britain who've attempted suicide https://t.co/JMBCWn68On — Paris Lees (@ParisLees) January 24, 2016

Clarkson's comments have provoked fury on social media, and campaigners have set up a petition calling on Amazon Prime to sack Clarkson from his forthcoming car show.

@AmazonVideo you need to drop @JeremyClarkson His comments re Transgendered people are reprehensible. — Matt (@tpamatt) January 25, 2016

I used to just hate Jeremy Clarkson because he's a prick, but now he's actually putting people's lives in danger #ShutItDown — Dylan B Jones (@dylanbjones) January 25, 2016