Róisín Murphy has issued a lengthy apology, after backlash over comments she made about puberty blockers.
The singer came under fire after calling the treatment, which has been given to young people who identify as transgender to postpone puberty, “f**ked”.
She commented on a Facebook post: “Please don’t call me a terf [Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist], please don’t keep using that word against women.”
“Puberty blockers are f***ked, absolutely desolate, big pharma laughing all the way to the bank. Little mixed-up kids are vulnerable and need to be protected, that’s just true,” Róisín added.
In a statement shared to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday amid the backlash, the songstress wrote: “I have been thrown into a very public discourse in an arena I’m uncomfortable in and deeply unsuitable for.”
“I cannot apologise enough for being the reason for this eruption of damaging and potentially dangerous social-media fire and brimstone. To witness the ramifications of my actions and the divisions it has caused is heartbreaking.”
The fact that people like @roisinmurphy are expressing ignorant views like this says nothing good about the state of education about trans lives in Ireland at the moment, at the same time as people are harassing librarians and schools to remove books meant to address the problem. pic.twitter.com/sv267E9mSQ
— Aidan Comerford (@AidanCTweets) August 23, 2023
Róisín continued: “I’ve had a personal Facebook account for years. The morning I made these comments I was scrolling and I brought up a specific issue that was only broadly related to the original post. It was something that had been on my mind.”
“I knew my friends were informed about the topic. I should’ve known too that I was stepping out of line. I’ve spent my whole life celebrating diversity and different views, but I never patronise or cynically aim my music directly at the pockets of any demographic.”
“The music I make is the core of everything I do and it’s ever-evolving, freewheeling and unpredictable. For those of you who are leaving me, or have already left, I understand, I really do, but please know I have loved every one of you. I have always been so proud of my audience and understood the privilege of performing for you, all through the years.”
The 50-year-old went on to say: “I am so sorry my comments have been directly hurtful to many of you. You must have felt a huge shock, blindsided by this so abruptly. I understand fixed views are not helpful but I really hope people can understand my concern was out of love for all of us.”
“I will now completely bow out of this conversation within the public domain. I’m not in the slightest bit interested in turning it into ANY kind of ‘campaign’, because campaigning is not what I do. Though I completely understand that for others activism is their true calling, and is necessary and legitimate in a democracy.”
“My true calling is music and music will never exclude any of us, I believe it will always be one of the greatest tools we can use to create a culture of tolerance. Thank you for taking the trouble to read this. I’m Gone Fishing. Sincerely, Róisín.”
— Róisín Murphy (@roisinmurphy) August 29, 2023
