'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
American actress Bette Midler was slammed online by supporters of transgender rights after she did not use inclusive language while expressing her thoughts on the aftermath of the recent Roe v. Wade ruling.
On July 4, the 76-year-old star took to her Twitter handle to share her disappointment with the recent abortion laws in the country, stating that "women" are being "stripped" and "erased" due to the overturning.
Midler's tweet came under fire because many people use terms such as "birthing people" instead of "birthing women" to acknowledge and include non-binary as well as transgender people, who don't identify themselves as women but can also get pregnant and give birth, thereby being impacted by the new laws.
Several people labeled her as TERF, which is an abbreviation for the term Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist. The acronym is used to refer to a woman who feels that a transgender woman's identity is not genuine and that they should not be allowed access to sex-based protection rights that are in tune with their gender.
Twitter is split over Bette Midler's comments
As soon as Bette Midler tweeted her views on the social media platform, she faced severe backlash from the LGBTQIA+ community. Despite that, some of Midler's supporters praised the actress for raising her voice and insisted that it was "time to take notice."
Several other netizens, both celebrities and non-celebrities alike, slammed Midler for and called her out on her transphobic thoughts, going on to label her as a TERF, which stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.
Bette Midler clarifies that she was referring to an op-ed article when using the controversial terms
In a later tweet, Midler clarified that her original tweet about the new ruling on women's reproductive rights, was in reference to an op-ed article published in the New York Times where its author, Pamela Paul, had slammed the use of terms like "birthing people" and "menstruators."
Abortion rights activists and organizations such as Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union have begun to use more inclusive and accurate terminology about reproductive healthcare to highlight that trans and non-binary persons seek such treatment as well.
This is not the first time that Midler has been bashed online for her controversial views.
In May 2022, she faced backlash during the country's shortage of producing baby formula, stating that people should "try breastfeeding" because it was "free" and always available.
Following this, she was once again slammed by the LGBTQIA+ community as well as many eminent personalities, including Stephen Miller.
While several women pointed out that they cannot produce enough milk which is why they are dependent on the baby formula, gay fathers were left enraged at the actress' comments.
Midler's current backlash comes shortly after it was announced that her 1993's iconic film, Hocus Pocus, is up for a sequel.
As of now, despite being active on Twitter, Midler has not responded to the bashlash.
