“It’s appalling to me that a post about National Women’s Day by Dylan Mulvaney and me would be met with such vitriol and hatred,” Gaga wrote on Instagram
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Lady Gaga; Dylan Mulvaney
Lady Gaga won’t stand for transphobic hate.
On Monday, the “Born This Way” singer, 37, came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women’s Day — which was originally shared on Mulvaney’s Instagram on Friday — received a slew of horrific responses.
“It’s appalling to me that a post about National Women’s Day by Dylan Mulvaney and me would be met with such vitriol and hatred. When I see a newspaper reporting on hatred but calling it ‘backlash’ I feel it is important to clarify that hatred is hatred, and this kind of hatred is violence. ‘Backlash’ would imply that people who love or respect Dylan and me didn’t like something we did. This is not backlash. This is hatred,” Gaga captioned an Instagram post on Monday, featuring Mulvaney, 27, in a black sequin mini dress leaning over the pop star’s shoulders while she’s seated in a long-sleeve black dress.
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Dylan Mulvaney at the 2023 Steamy Awards in Los Angeles in August 2023
The A Star Is Born actor added that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done as a society “to make room for transgender lives to be cherished and upheld.”
“I feel very protective in this moment, not only of Dylan, but of the trans community who continues to lead the way with their endless grace and inspiration in the face of constant degradation, intolerance, and physical, verbal, and mental violence,” Gaga said.
While the 13-time Grammy winner said she doesn’t “speak for this community,” she has thoughts form women she needs to share.
“I hope all women will come together to honor us ALL for International Women’s Day, and may we do that always until THE DAY that all women are celebrated equally. That all people are celebrated equally. A day where people of all gender identities are celebrated on whichever holiday speaks to them. Because people of all gender identities and races deserve peace and dignity,” Gaga said.
She added: “May we all come together and be loving, accepting, warm, welcoming. May we all stand and honor the complexity and challenge of trans life—that we do not know, but can seek to understand and have compassion for. I love people too much to allow hatred to be referred to as ‘backlash.’ People deserve better.”
Gaga has always been one of the LGBTQ+ community’s most supportive allies.
During the pop star’s Jazz & Piano Las Vegas Residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM in September, she took time in the show to dedicate a song to the transgender community.
Gaga performed her 2011 hit queer anthem “Born This Way” in honor of trans people and discussed the importance of using her platform.
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Lady Gaga performs at the 2022 Grammys in Las Vegas in April 2022
Related: TikTok Star Dylan Mulvaney on Dating as a Trans Woman: ‘I Get a Do-Over’
“I’ve got something to say about trans rights in this country,” Gaga said before performing the song in footage captured by fans. “You got something to say, you’ve got to speak up, alright?”
In the middle of the song, she paused the track to add, “Sometimes you hear people say things like, ‘I don’t know what to say.’ Just listen. Don’t say nothing. Listen. Listen to stories of real people’s lives.”
Gaga paid tribute to the LGBTQ+ community among an uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, with many laws targeting transgender youth and gender-affirming care.
