Lady Gaga hit back at what she called the “appalling” response she got for promoting trans-identifying activist Dylan Mulvaney in a post in honor of International Women’s Day.
In a lengthy post on Monday on Instagram, the 37-year-old singer wrote that she had seen headlines saying she and Mulvaney were facing a “backlash” and she hit back, saying that the “hatred” was “violence.”
“‘Backlash’ would imply that people who love or respect Dylan and me didn’t like something we did,” the singer wrote. “This is not backlash. This is hatred. But it is not surprising given the immense work that it’s obvious we still have to do as a society to make room for transgender lives to be cherished and upheld by all of us.”
“I feel very protective in this moment, not only of Dylan, but of the trans community who continues to lead the way with their endless grace and inspiration in the face of constant degradation, intolerance, and physical, verbal, and mental violence,” she added. “I certainly do not speak for this community, but I have something to say.I hope all women will come together to honor us ALL for International Women’s Day, and may we do that always until THE DAY that all women are celebrated equally. That all people are celebrated equally.”
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“A day where people of all gender identities are celebrated on whichever holiday speaks to them,” Gaga continued. “Because people of all gender identities and races deserve peace and dignity … I love people too much to allow hatred to be referred to as ‘backlash.’ People deserve better.”
The post came after the “Poker Face” hitmaker made a post on Friday — which showed her posing with Mulvaney — that read, “Happy International Women’s Day,” as previously reported.
The post included snaps/video of a photo shoot the two did together. In the video, Gaga can be heard saying, “I’m putting you on my vision board, for life,” and Mulvaney, a man who identifies as a transgender woman, replying, “I love you.”
The comments to her post called it everything from degrading to insulting for the superstar singer to include the trans identifying male in a post celebrating women.
“Isn’t women’s day for women? Lol just another case of some.. creep male trying to take one more thing from women,” one person wrote.
Another added, “This is so degrading to REAL women.”
While a third wrote, “Why’s Dylan representing. He’s ‘NOT’ a woman. What an insult to us ‘REAL’ women. Quit invading our territory.”