Katy Perry told to check her privilege after urging fans to build bridges with Trump supporters
Katy Perry told fans to offer support to Trump-supporting family members. (Getty Images/Getty Images for SHEIN)
Katy Perry has found herself at the centre of a privilege row after she encouraged her fans to offer love and support to their Donald Trump-supporting family members after the US election.
On Sunday (November 8), Perry wrote on Twitter: “The first thing I did when the presidency was called is text and call my family members who do not agree and tell them I love them and am here for them.
After using the hashtag #FamilyFirst, she added: “Call your family today. Happy Sunday.”
But her tweet attracted a swift backlash from social media users who accused her of not acknowledging her “privilege” and of “coddling” family members who had supported Trump’s hate.
One person wrote: “I know you mean well but you have the privilege to be able to do that as a white person unfortunately this isn’t the same situation for everyone.”
I know you mean well but you have the privilege to be able to do that as a white person unfortunately this isn’t the same situation for everyone
— wendy (@cinedicta) November 8, 2020
“That, my friends, is privilege talking,” one trans Twitter user wrote. “Must be nice to not be one of those people who lost family and/or have a target on their backs threatened by the very people she’s insinuating we should empathize with now.
“This ain’t it, Katy. They want people like me and others dead.”
Katy Perry told: ‘Y’all need to be snatching up your family members and slapping the white supremacy out of them.’
The Haunting of Bly Manor star Rahul Kohli shared Katy Perry’s tweet, and wrote: “Those people voted for a man who incited violence and didn’t care whether marginalised groups lived or died.
“THEY should be reaching out FIRST to apologise and that’s the bare minimum before there can be any talk about love and moving forward.”
https://twitter.com/RahulKohli13/status/1325581774206873600
This is exactly the kind of conversations y’all should NOT be having with your racist, bigoted family members. We aren’t going back to the pre-2016 status quo white supremacy. Y’all need to be snatching up your family members and slapping the white supremacy out of them. https://t.co/JY1T2a0mED— Dr. Earyn McGee, Lizard lassoer 🦎 (@Afro_Herper) November 8, 2020
Scientist Earyn McGee added: “This is exactly the kind of conversations y’all should NOT be having with your racist, bigoted family members.
“We aren’t going back to the pre-2016 status quo white supremacy. Y’all need to be snatching up your family members and slapping the white supremacy out of them.”
Katy Perry has not yet responded to the criticism.
