Alyssa Milano apologises for saying she’s trans, gay and a lesbian
Alyssa Milano attracted criticism for her tweet on International Women’s Day. (Rich Fury/Getty)
Alyssa Milano has apologised after sparking outrage by tweeting that she was trans, a lesbian and a gay man.
The former Charmed actress posted the message on International Women’s Day (March 8) while quote-tweeting a person called Kirk who asked her if she was trans. He posed the question after Milano said she was marking the day by celebrating her “transgender sisters.”
“Iām trans. Iām a person of colour. Iām an immigrant. Iām a lesbian. Iām a gay man. Iām the disabled.”
ā Alyssa Milano
Milano wrote: “Iām trans. Iām a person of colour. Iām an immigrant. Iām a lesbian. Iām a gay man. Iām the disabled.
“Iām everything. And so are you, Kirk. Donāt be afraid of what you donāt know or understand. No one wants to hurt you. We are all just looking for our happily ever after.”
Alyssa Milano apologises for her tweet
The American star, who is a prominent figure in the #MeToo movement, apologised after people expressed anger about her post.
On Saturday (March 9), she wrote: “Iām glad this tweet invoked conversation. Iām so sorry it offended some. I see you and hear you.
Iām glad this tweet invoked conversation. Iām so sorry it offended some. I see you and hear you. But just a reminder, empathy is not a bad thing. Nuance is important and literal interpretation is not always intended. And I can identify with and not identify as. Both are powerful.
ā Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) March 9, 2019
“But just a reminder, empathy is not a bad thing. Nuance is important and literal interpretation is not always intended.”
“And I can identify with and not identify as. Both are powerful,” she added.
Alyssa Milano criticised for both tweets
The star, who has appeared in Insatiable and Commando, was criticised for her posts.
Many objectedĀ to the idea that she could assume the identities she had listed, with one person tweeting: “No. You are an advocate. Be ok with that. This isnāt the way to say you are with us.
“You canāt just fake an experience you donāt have. You donāt navigate any space like these groups. This is the ‘I donāt see colour’ approach which is oppression and erasure.”
Another said: “itās actually not that woke or empowering to others for you to declare yourself a marginalised identity when you arenāt… come on dude.”
A different user wrote: “Spend less time patting yourself on the back for whatever nonsense youāre spilling and more time looking into what being an ally actually is.”
Many people objected to the tweet by Alyssa Milano. (IamGMJohnson/twitter)
One user commented: “Empathy is hugely important, but claiming yourself ‘as one’ with the disenfranchised when you havenāt had their experiences devalues the idea of empathy and the work it involves.
“It also sounds like a white saviour complex, and as a white woman, we can do better than that.”
Others questioned her for writing “the disabled,” like the person who tweeted: “Saying ‘the disabled’ as if weāre a disease or part of an art exhibit or something.”
Another person said: “‘the disabled‘ Oy vey. When you thought it couldn’t get worse.”
Some criticised Milano for her apology as well, like the tweeter who said: “Lol as if it wasn’t obvious claiming membership of victim classes wouldn’t cause outrage.”
Another wrote: “When you apologise and then add a ‘but…’ you negate what came before. Every time.
“Just apologise and say you learned a new perspective and understand it. Thatās all. No ‘buts’ about it.”
