Days after being branded “lesbophobic” for comments she made about lesbians dating men, Betty Who has issued a heartfelt apology.
The Australian pop star, who identifies as bisexual and nonbinary, offered a mea culpa for the “harmful” and “dismissive” words she uttered on a recent episode of the “Made It Out” podcast.
Betty Who caught heat for discussing the sexuality of celebrities such as JoJo Siwa and Fletcher — queer artists who are dating men — as well as Reneé Rapp, who has emphatically said she has no intention of ever dating a man.
In addressing how someone expresses their sexuality, in addition to allowing room for growth and change, Who told podcaster Mal Golwenke that she “hold(s) space” for the “Mean Girls” star if she did end up with a man 10 years down the line.
“If she goes, ‘Oops, I met the love of my life and it’s this man, I didn’t mean to.’ It’s like, that’s OK!” Who said. “I think it’s hard when you become representative of something to other people, and then you change or you’re just following your heart, and then that means other people feel that they are not represented anymore. The pressure of that is so immense.”
While some viewed Who’s comments as supporting exploration, evolution and self-discovery, to others the remarks came off as a reinforcement of the myth that lesbians just need to “find the right man” in order to be straight. (Who herself revealed in 2020 that she had married photographer Zak Cassar, who’s a cis, straight man.)
In response to those labeling her “lesbophobic,” the 33-year-old “Unpregnant” star took to social media to clear the air — and to admit fault.
“In recent days, I’ve taken time to sit with the conversation around my gender and sexuality,” she wrote Wednesday on her Instagram Story. “I recognize that the language I used poorly articulated my experience and unintentionally reinforced ideas that were harmful or dismissive, particularly toward the lesbian community.”
Who said that was “never [her] intention” and apologized for speaking in a way that “generalized” others’ personal journeys.
“I went into the interview to discuss my own journey specifically, how I figured out how to identify myself and how I ultimately landed on nonbinary and bisexual, both assignments that live somewhere in-between,” she added. “I understand there is so much nuance in this conversation, and in other people’s lived experiences, that my comments did not reflect. I also recognize that I’m coming from a place of privilege, and I never meant to contribute to prejudice against the community.”
Who concluded her statement by calling the LGBTQ+ community her “home” and promised she would “do better.”
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source ca.news.yahoo.com ’
