‘This Shocks Me’: Bette Midler Triggers Trending Deluge of Backlash for Criticizing Terms Like ‘Birthing Person’

Caleb HoweJul 5th, 2022, 5:33 pm
 
Bette Midler

Samuel Corum/AFP, Getty Images

Actress and singer Bette Midler began trending on social media on the Fourth of July, but not for an Independence Day message. The liberal performer’s social commentary resulted in sustained fire for over 24 hours — from the left.

In a tweet about the rights of women that started out as a clear reference to the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, Midler shifted quickly and finished her thought by commenting on phrases like “birthing person” that the left would describe as “inclusive” and is increasingly used in place of words like “woman” or “mother” in government and political statements as well as political commentary.

“WOMEN OF THE WORLD! We are being stripped of our rights over our bodies, our lives and even of our name!” she tweeted. “They don’t call us ‘women’ anymore; they call us ‘birthing people’ or ‘menstruators’, and even ‘people with vaginas’! Don’t let them erase you! Every human on earth owes you!

The reactions from the left were uniformly negative, with the acronym “TERF” popping up a lot, as well as many references to author J.K. Rowling. Many replying or attacking declared that Midler had been duped or deceived by the right, or simply argued that the fact people on the right would support her comments was proof of their wrongness.

From the right it was a different story with support for the message if not the messenger. Writer and pundit Bari Weiss suggested Midler’s tweet could be a “tipping point” on the subject of woke terminology.

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who in 2018 had her own controversy over comments about trans athletes, told Midler to be “careful” or she’ll “be called transphobic too or worse.”

There were other less specifically pro- or con- takes, and a lot of pre-emptive grave-dancing from the right on the presumed pending cancellation.

Writer Noam Blum suggested in his retweet that Midler wasn’t clear at all about who it is that is responsible for such terms, nor to what end.

Midler has not retracted her comments, but has tweeted during the flurry of backlash, including on Tuesday afternoon taking a meme shot at the Supreme Court.

So far there has not been a new backlash regarding the imagery.
 

Tags:
Caleb Howe - Contributing Editor

Caleb Howe is an editor and writer focusing on politics and media. Former managing editor at RedState. Published at USA Today, Blaze, National Review, Daily Wire, American Spectator, AOL News, Asylum, fortune cookies, manifestos, napkins, fridge drawings...