Bette Midler Responds to Backlash Over Her Tweets About “Erasure”
Bette Midler was targeted on social media after tweeting about the "cancellation" of women following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
On Sunday, in what appeared to be a reference to the Roe news, Midler tweeted: “WOMEN OF THE WORLD!
They are robbing us of our rights over our bodies, our lives and even our names! They no longer call us "women";
They call us "people who give birth" or "menstruers" and even "people with vagina"! Don't let them erase you! Every human on earth owes you!
The tweet sparked a storm of controversy, garnering more than 20,000 responses, a significant number of them criticizing Midler for using language some consider anti-trans.
The most extreme reaction was that some users accused Midler of being a "TERF", or trans-exclusive reactionary feminist, an epithet that was used against J.K. Rowling.
Some have even pitched the idea ofboycotting the next Hocus Pocus sequel on Disney +, in which Midler reprises the role of Winifred.
The backlash against Midler comes at a time when some states are trying to limit health care options for transgender people.