Original Real Housewives of New York cast member Bethenny Frankel has come under fire for making transphobic comments.
The reality star complained on her podcast Just B with Bethenny about a Zoom meeting held by her daughter’s school.
“We have to go into the fact that I did a Zoom for my daughter’s school and [had] the pronouns conversation with each teacher, each parent, each child,” Bethenny Frankel began.
“And my daughter says in school, too, that everybody has to say their pronouns. And my daughter didn’t even know what hers were.”
She went on to recount a story that she had heard about a “person with a penis, who identifies as being a girl,” being in a bunk with other girls.
“So the other girls saw a penis,” she said. “They’re 9, 10 years old, so the parents obviously weren’t that happy. A penis often goes into a vagina often so they might not want that visual so soon.”
Frankel went on to say that if she was raising a transgender child, she would “want my child to go to another camp where there were kids in the same situation,” adding, “Not every situation is set up to make someone thrive. I know parents who won’t send their children to very athletic school because they’re … not jocks so they’re gonna set them up for not feeling successful. … You can’t make every situation fit. The camp didn’t think it through.”
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Bethenny Frankel then waged war against trans-inclusive bathrooms.
“What happens if a child isn’t ready to make a decision? Don’t a lot of girls in college have a lesbian phase and then they realise that they’re not?” she said.
“Maybe they’re going through something, maybe they want attention, maybe they’re going through a bad breakup. What is the age that someone’s absolutely positive who they are? There’s got to be gray area. I’ve heard of situations when [people] unmake that decision. What does that mean for that camp? What does that mean for that bunk? Maybe a mother isn’t ready for her child to see a penis in a bunk and understand that child identifies as a girl.”
She later clarified that her daughter “understands all this” and has “different language” to talk about it.
Her comments were met with immediate and widespread backlash online.
How dare you @Bethenny ? How dare you toss a transphobic bomb and run leaving folks like me locked in a battle to defend ourselves. That was an asshole move.
— ᑭᕼᗩYᒪEᑎ (@phaylen) September 28, 2021
As a trans person, I think it was ignorant of you to say and unwarranted. It is transphobic.
— meeeesh (@michlikeniche) September 28, 2021
I mean, we always knew bethenny frankel was trash but did you know she was also transphobic af?? https://t.co/wI1syil54H https://t.co/mXeY9Byfuy
— Resisting Cat Lady (@KrazyCatLadyNYC) September 28, 2021
Bethenny went on to joke about the backlash on her Twitter, writing: “Nominate me for cancellation. There are, like, five others before you so take a number.”
True. Nominate me for cancelation…there are like five others before you so take a number. 😘 https://t.co/tGOODK5gy7
— Bethenny Frankel (@Bethenny) September 28, 2021
She added in another tweet that she “was absolutely not wrong,” writing, “I’m going to discuss this again this week. Thankfully I have a platform to clarify what the media loves to distort. PS I’m not afraid of cancelation so not afraid of charged discussions.”
She later doubled-down, insisting that she’s “not apologising.”
“So don’t hold your breath. I didn’t do a single thing wrong. People need to be able to have discussions without fearing the cancelation citations you get excited to give. Wrong celeb. Find someone afraid to troll.”
Not apologizing….so don’t hold your breath. I didn’t do a single thing wrong. People need to be able to have discussions without fearing the cancelation citations you get excited to give. Wrong celeb. Find someone afraid to troll.
— Bethenny Frankel (@Bethenny) September 28, 2021
After Page Six called her out on her transphobic comments, she added: “My new book cover shoot is in the am & @PageSix says I’m transphobic so it must be true…or listen to @justbpodcast & decide for yourself. Gotta sell papers.”
Ok I’m going to attempt sleep. My new book cover shoot is in the am & @PageSix says I’m transphobic so it must be true…or listen to @justbpodcast & decide for yourself. Gotta sell papers. #donthatetheplayerhatethegame 😘
— Bethenny Frankel (@Bethenny) September 28, 2021
