Imelda May has slammed Twitter for allowing anonymous accounts, after being targeted by online trolls.
The singer has been receiving abusive messages on the platform, ever since she posted a poem entitled You Don’t Get to Be Racist and Irish – amid the Black Lives Matter movement.
In the poem, the 46-year-old discusses Ireland’s history and how Irish people were once subject to racism after emigrating.
Taking to Twitter earlier this week, Imelda wrote: “Any chance @Twitter could cancel anonymous accounts and make these assholes/cowards who are trolling me put a name to their nasty?”
Any chance @Twitter could cancel anonymous accounts and make these assholes/cowards who are trolling me put a name to their nasty?
— Imelda May (@ImeldaOfficial) September 10, 2020
The Dublin native then reposted one of the horrible messages she’s received, and wrote: “Reposting to give you an idea of what I’m getting daily since my anti-racist poem. This isn’t even the worst of it.”
“Thought I’d spare you those. @Twitter doesn’t care. You block them they open up another account and start again.”
Following on from her previous tweets, Imelda took to Twitter this morning to say: “Respectful and informative conversations and debates are important for moving forward in disagreement but personal, disrespectful, aggressive, intimidating verbal attacks and sending me pictures of children being burnt alive or abused is unacceptable.”
“Would you not agree?” she added.
Respectful and informative conversations and debates are important for moving forward in disagreement but personal, disrespectful, aggressive, intimidating verbal attacks and sending me pictures of children being burnt alive or abused is unacceptable.
Would you not agree?— Imelda May (@ImeldaOfficial) September 12, 2020
The news comes after Imelda’s anti-racism poem was put on display across the country back in July.
The singer’s poem was featured on 200 billboards nationwide, coinciding with the launch of Rethink Ireland’s new Equality fund.
The fund aims to support organisations and groups that empower marginalised communities, and tackle systemic inequality.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Imelda said she was “delighted” over her poem being chosen for the campaign.
Today at 11am we will launch our €3m #EqualityFund supported by the Peter Kinney & Lisa Sandquist Foundation & the Government of Ireland. We will support organisations & groups that empower marginalised communities and tackle systemic inequality. Visit https://t.co/fwHkFVPHXG pic.twitter.com/QrMem3t9Kp
— Rethink Ireland (@Rethink_Ireland) July 13, 2020
“We are all human and so must show our humanity to each other, otherwise what are we?” she said. “I’m delighted that my poem is being linked to this campaign.”
“I’m really glad that the poem has sparked some conversation and I’m grateful that I’ve had the words to be able to write it.”
“But I think at the moment, now is not the time to hear my voice. It’s time to hear the voices of those that need to be heard,” she added.
Watch Now: You Don’t Get To Be Racist And Irish – Imelda May @ImeldaOfficial reads her stunning poem for our times: pic.twitter.com/ZPbjflKG4R
— Culture on RTÉ (@RTE_Culture) June 5, 2020
On this week’s episode of Goss Chats, Goss.ie CEO Ali Ryan chats with award-winning makeup artist and MRS Glam creator, Michelle Regazolli Stone.
The celebrity MUA opens up about the ups and downs of living through the pandemic, and how her makeup range saved her.
#GossChats is sponsored by top Irish aesthetic clinic Haus of JeJuve.
