Demi Lovato took to Instagram to share an important message from trans rights activist Alok Vaid-Menon breaking down why gender-reveal parties are inherently transphobic. The lengthy post drop some serious knowledge about the controversial, sometimes deadly, and yet more-popular-than-ever trend. We have been telling everyone who will listen that genitals don’t equal gender, but it’s great to have a young celebrity boost this message.
“This is not about being politically correct, it’s about being correct. The refusal to acknowledge this stems from a misunderstanding of what transphobia is,” reads the post’s caption. “Transphobia is not just prejudice or violence against an individual trans person, it is a belief system that presumes non-trans people to be more ‘natural’ than trans people. Only individual people can self determine their gender.”
The nine-page post explains that “It’s both insincere and incorrect to pretend that gender reveal parties are not transphobic,” read the post. “You can’t have your proverbial pink-and-blue binary cake and eat it, too.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLs2T7AhsLh/
A post shared by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato)
Vaid-Menon also wrote, “Gender reveals are based on the illusion that genitals = gender and that there are only two options ‘boy’ or ‘girl.’ This definition erases the fact that there are boys with vaginas and girls with penises and that there are people who are neither boys nor girls. The idea that sex is based on genitalia is inconsistent with science.” The photo then encourages readers to visit not-binary.org “to learn why from more than 2600 scientists.”
This isn’t Lovato’s first brush with trans rights. She’s been an outspoken advocate and is a member of the LGBTQ community herself, telling Andy Cohen that she was still figuring it out, regarding her sexual fluidity.
Lovato did receive some criticism from followers on her gender-reveal repost.
“As a transwoman I really do not care about a color, and baby showers are fun,” wrote Instagram user QueenKamie18. “NO ONE is defined by a color so sorry that a baby shower (before I’m even born lol) doesn’t hurt me, I promise I did, do not care that when I was in my mother’s belly she had a blue themed baby shower for me like truly….this is why people can’t stand us..if you ask me how a stranger should treat a transperson, like any other person. That’s it. Don’t stress about colors,parties,politics, or religion. Let me do me, and you do you, and we’re all good. God Bless. 🙌🏻👏🏻❤️ *Not a spokesperson, just a transwoman.”
As with all things on the internet though, those who disagree are typically more vocal than those who agree, but there was a smattering of supportive comments as well.
As for us, gender reveals have proven to be pretty problematic in the past and we’re here to say trans rights are human rights.
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