Tuesday 5 July 2022 02:39 AM Bette Midler angers woke mob by blasting terms 'birthing people' and ... trends now
Bette Midler has infuriated supporters of transgender rights by claiming that the word 'women' is 'being erased' in favor of woke terms such as 'birthing people' and 'menstruators'.
The 76-year-old actress and gay icon tweeted on Monday: 'WOMEN OF THE WORLD! We are being stripped of our rights over our bodies, our lives and even of our name!'
She added: '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!'
Midler's comments generated a swift reaction, with 11,000 retweets and 61,000 likes in less than 12 hours.
'No,' said Irish drag queen and gay rights activist Dr Panti Bliss-Cabrera.
'Don't fall for the anti-trans panic fake nonsense. No one is erasing women.
'In a few small healthcare cases where appropriate they are using trans inclusive language. That's all.'
Bette Midler, pictured in December at the Kennedy Center gala, on Monday sparked anger by tweeting that women were being 'erased' by woke terminology
Derry Girls actress Siobhan McSweeney replied: 'This isnt true. xxx'
Midler, seen in November 2019, angered many with her tweet - but others were supportive
Dr Jacqui Lewis, senior minister at the Middle Collegiate Church in New York City, said it did not need to be a 'them or us' scenario.
'Using gender-inclusive language does not deny my womanhood,' she said.
'Liberation is collective.'
Author Chanda Prescod-Weinstein tweeted: 'The stupidity of TERF semantics knows no bounds.'
Trans journalist Niko Stratis said: 'The issue with Bette Midler's post is how the language is a direct line from that NYT op-ed, the power of the paper of record to play on peoples fears, insecurities and lack of proper information creates this space where the idea that trans people are erasing women becomes real.'
But others, including Martina Navratilova, sprang to her defense.
'Careful Bette- you will be called transphobic too or worse…,' she said, with the 'horrified' emoji.
Navratilova, 65, one of the first openly gay sportswomen, was herself accused of being transphobic earlier this year when she said it was wrong for trans swimmer Lia Thomas to be able to compete against others born female.
Comedian Shaparak Khorsandi joked: ''I'm excited about drinks with some birthing people I went to school with...we are having a proper mensturators night out!' Let me know when this happens. Right now it's just a kind nod to inclusion of a tiny minority.'
And singer Bradley James Skistimas, known as Five Times August, tweeted: 'I agree with you on this. Is your account hacked?
'Also, where were you when women of the world were being forced and coerced to get a vaccine
