Bette Midler's tweet today was so disappointing and makes me very sad. Please someone tell me she didn't mean it how it sounds, that it's abortion she's talking about. I can't lose her.
WOMEN OF THE WORLD! We are being stripped of our rights over our bodies, our lives and even of our name! They don’t call us “women” anymore; they call us “birthing people” or “menstruators”, and even “people with vaginas”! Don’t let them erase you! Every human on earth owes you!
She is 76 years old and is talking about women's reproductive rights. I see no drama or transphobia here. What's the issue, Jay?
It seems to me that she has a problem with trans-inclusive language. Resents that trans men can be pregnant, and that medical talk should reflect this. I'm really hoping that she has just misunderstood the meaning of that, because I can of course understand why she might think it's because women are to be seen as baby-making machines only.
Cher is also 76, and having a trans son, I hope would know better.
She may just not know the language, I truly don't think she was trying to be hurtful. I think she understands how much the LGBTQIA+ community has supported and loved her since the beginning of her career and I don't think she was trying to exclude anyone.
As women, we are all terrified right now for ourselves and for younger women since white Christian males are trying to control us and our bodies. And I think you're right, she also posted something a few months ago that said "Forced births are for cattle" or something similar.
JK Rowling is going to love this.
Here is the tweet, by the way:
“WOMEN OF THE WORLD! We are being stripped of our rights over our bodies, our lives and even of our name! They don’t call us “women” anymore; they call us “birthing people” or “menstruators”, and even “people with vaginas”! Don’t let them erase you! Every human on earth owes you!”
For the entirety of her amazing career, Bette Midler has never once given me pause regarding her continuing support for the LGBTQ+ communities. And this tweet does in no way make me believe otherwise.
How do you explain this tweet then?
Jay Lerner-Z said: "How do you explain this tweet then?"
That she Tweets a lot stupid boomer **** that she doesn't actually critically think about. She isn't thinking about why people are using those words in place of "Women", she just see it at face value of dehumanizing women which is not the intent despite how wrong it makes her. I would hope people in her camp would inform her ass (certainly Disney will get involved considering Hocus Pocus 2 and all).
Yeah, Disney will surely get involved. Jesus Christ. The world is f*cking burning and we have a lot more important things to worry about other than being offended by every little goddamn thing. Get lives.
Pathetic.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
I remember lives.
Jay Lerner-Z said: "Cher is also 76, and having a trans son, I hope would know better."
Where did Cher come into this? o.O
Of late, Bette's tweeting has been very Debra Messing style. Middle-old age rich white women who engage with politics at a very surface level, and don't necessarily understand the changing language. And when they're called out on it, there's inherent defense built in because they think challenging their language is same as challenging their views. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if she leans in even further, but maybe, just maybe, some of her friends whom she trusts will have the patience and get through. I don't think she means harm. Yet.
Cher comes into it only by me trying to show that being 76 doesn't necessarily mean ignorance.
For now, I can still see this tweet as just a mistake. A careless mistake that threw a bucket of fuel on the transphobic fire, with so far no attempt to put it out.
Get lives, Sutton? That's all most young trans people are trying to do, with dangerous tweets like this making it more difficult than it needs to be.
Jay Lerner-Z said: "Get lives, Sutton? That's all most young trans people are trying to do, with dangerous tweets like this making it more difficult than it needs to be."
Dangerous? Balderdash.
Yes, dangerous.
Of course it's dangerous to give support to obsessive transphobic groups. Of course it's dangerous to belittle trans-inclusive language, with implications for physical and mental health of an already suffering people.
Ignorance is always dangerous.
Stand-by Joined: 7/10/18
Jay Lerner-Z said: "Yes, dangerous.
Of course it's dangerous to give support to obsessive transphobic groups. Of course it's dangerous to belittle trans-inclusive language, with implications for physical and mental health of an already suffering people.
Ignorance is always dangerous."
After carefully reading her tweet, I am giving her benefit of the doubt for now. Inclusive language is going to be very new to most people, especially someone her age. She probably hears"people who menstruate" or "birthing people" as something akin to Jerry Lewis calling women "just baby making machines" and dehumanizing. Obviously those of us who know better know that the intention of this language is to be inclusive of trans men.
A few weeks ago, Rainn Wilson tweeted something equally ignorant. The next day, he deleted his tweet and apologized. He said he'd spoken to some trans friends and realized the error of his ways. I'm waiting for Bette to do the same.
Really looking forward to this!
Good for you, so am I. I'm not sure if you're trying to make some sort of a point, but what I'm getting from it is that people become blind to fault when it's someone they like. Thank you for illustrating the danger of people like JK Rowling.
Bette responded, and, by praising a clearly transphobic NYT op-ed, it definitely didn't help matters:
https://twitter.com/BetteMidler/status/1544470451476467715
Jay Lerner-Z said: "Thank you for illustrating the danger of people like JK Rowling."
I said nothing about Rowling, dude.
I did.
I'm sorry if you can't see the connection between the panic and paranoia whipped up by the likes of Rowling and Bette's tweet.
Anyway, I've calmed down now. I believe Bette.
Then there's her islamophobic supreme court tweet.
Just get off twitter, Bette. Please.
Sutton Ross said: "The world is f*cking burning and we have a lot more important things to worry about other than being offended by every little goddamn thing. Get lives.
Pathetic."
Okay, you're even worse than I thought.
The world burning doesn't give license to people to be islamophobic or transphobic. Or stop us from pointing it out when they are.
Tell me, with the world burning, just what are we allowed to care about? Clarence Thomas? Marriage equality? Anything other than what directly impacts your own life?
Please forward on the list.
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