FEATURE:
Murphy’s Law?
At a Time When Distinctly Problematic Artists Are Not Punished or Penalised, Is Róisín Murphy’s ‘Cancellation’ Proportionate?
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I will keep this quite brief (and on-brief)…
IN THIS PHOTO: Alice Cooper/PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Fenn
because, at a time when there is so much discussion about trans rights and the transgender community, the conversation and waters are being muddied by some artists expressing their views. Carlos Santana and Alice Cooper are two very recent examples of artists who are either mocking trans people are feeling like it is a ‘fad’ (Cooper’s term). You can read what Santana said, and Cooper. Whilst Cooper has lost a cosmetics deal – baffling that he got one in the first place! -, he is allowed to tour and promote his music widely without any limits or curfews. Away from transgender conversations, artists like Matty Healy have repeatedly got into hot water regarding views and remarks seen as racist, misogynistic and sexist. A term, people rather timidly and unhelpful label ‘controversial’, these artists, the vast majority of whom are men, are not checked or challenged by labels or the industry. They may get dragged on social media – and rightly so in many incidents! -, yet they do not sincerely apologise or learn from things. The trans community has received a lot of unwarranted and un-asked-for hatred and ignorance from so many people. From famous figures to trolls online, many are sharing their views – which they were definitely not asked for! -, as to whether they thinks trans people should have rights; if trans women are women; if trans women/men are dangers to society; if kids should be mutilated (which no child is!). There is so much disinformation and misguided vitriol and acid being thrown at a community who only want understanding, equality and acceptance.
IN THIS PHOTO: The 1975’s Matty Healy/PHOTO CREDIT: Adam Pardee/Special to The Chronicle
To make my position clear, if it was needed at all: I 100% and fully support and love the trans community. Activists like Charlie Craggs ands Katy Montgomery are people I look up to. Inspiring women who often have to field personal attacks and abuse that makes your heart break. There is a lot of talk around transgender rights and topics with people like Graham Linehan throwing grenades at the trans community whenever he can! It is a very difficult subject to get involved in. Whilst there should be freedom to discuss the transgender community, many artists are having their say without knowing realities, facts…and what it is to be a trans person. Many assuming children are forced into transitioning or being mutilated. That somehow these people should not be allowed the same rights and freedom as all of us. Puberty blockers is a side of the transgender ‘debate’ (if that is even the correct word?!) because of something said by Róisín Murphy (“Please don’t call me a terf [trans-exclusionary radical feminist], please don’t keep using that word against women [praying emojis] I beg you! but puberty blockers ARE FUCKED, absolutely desolate, big Pharma laughing all the way to the bank. Little mixed up kids are vulnerable and need to be protected, that’s just true”). Following that post on her private Facebook account, that comment was dragged into Twitter and wider. Murphy, as a result, received a lot of hatred that seems hugely unwarranted and disproportionate. Maybe the comments should have come with more support of the trans community - and a bit more research and knowledge going in. It opens up a couple of debates I will get to. One consequence of this storm is that her label., Ninja Tune, has halted promotion of her upcoming album, Hit Parade. That comes out in a week – and Murphy is unable to promote it, thus affecting sales and chart position. Whilst some defence of Murphy has been misguided and seemingly anti-trans rather than pro-women/freedom of speech, there has been a division as to, a) whether Murphy was right to post these comments and it comes from a place or concern rather than discrimination and, b) why her label has decided to cancel promotion of the album and donate profits to charities supporting the trans community.
Murphy has said how she regrets her actions and words; she did not want this to become a public thing. She is focused on her music and her post was her expressing concerns for the health of some children. If you are not sure what puberty blockers are and the side-effects they can have, here is some valuable information:
“Puberty can be confusing or difficult for a child who is transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary or questioning their gender.
Puberty blockers, also called hormone blockers, help delay unwanted physical changes that don’t match someone’s gender identity. Delaying these changes can be an important step in a young person’s transition. It can also give your child more time to explore their options before deciding whether or how to transition.
How Do Puberty Blockers Work?
Using puberty blockers is like hitting a pause button. By blocking the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen, puberty blockers delay changes that can affect gender expression, including:
Breast growth
Facial hair growth
Periods
Voice deepening
Widening hips
Puberty blockers don’t stop acne, body odor, or underarm and pubic hair development, because these changes are not controlled only by estrogen or testosterone.
Are Puberty Blockers Safe?
Most experts, including our team, believe that puberty blockers are safe:
The Endocrine Society and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health support the use of puberty blockers for kids who want to delay or prevent unwanted physical changes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved puberty blockers for children who start puberty at a young age.
What Are the Side Effects of Puberty Blockers?
While puberty blockers are generally considered safe, they have some side effects. Not everyone experiences the following, but some people do.
“Because every child is different, there isn’t a single best age to begin puberty blockers”
Possible long-term side effects of puberty blockers
Lower bone density. To protect against this, we work to make sure every patient gets enough exercise, calcium and vitamin D, which can help keep bones healthy and strong. We also closely monitor patients’ bone density.
Delayed growth plate closure, leading to slightly taller adult height.
Less development of genital tissue, which may limit options for gender affirming surgery (bottom surgery) later in life.
Other possible long-term side effects that are not yet known.
Possible short-term side effects of puberty blockers
Headache, fatigue, insomnia and muscle aches.
Changes in weight, mood or breast tissue.
Spotting or irregular periods (in menstruating patients whose periods are not completely suppressed by puberty blockers).
For children who want to delay or prevent unwanted physical changes, the mental health benefits of puberty blockers may outweigh these risks.
At What Age Can You Start Taking Puberty Blockers?
Because every child is different, there isn’t a single best age to begin puberty blockers.
In general, starting puberty blockers in early puberty leads to better outcomes and prevents the lifelong difficulties that can result from living with undesired sex characteristics. While they can stop puberty from progressing, however, blockers can’t reverse changes that have already happened.
Are Puberty Blockers Permanent?
No, puberty blockers are temporary:
Injectable blockers (such as Lupron) can last one, three or six months. Patients can continue getting injections until they decide what to do next.
Implants (such Supprelin), which are placed just under the skin in the arm, can last 12 to 24 months before they need to be replaced.
Both types are meant to give patients more time to consider their options:
If your child decides to continue transitioning, they will likely want to consider hormone therapy and possibly gender affirming surgery.
If your child decides that they want to develop characteristics of the sex they were assigned at birth, they can simply stop taking puberty blockers. Once the puberty blockers are out of their system, they’ll go through the puberty of the sex assigned at birth. Puberty blockers alone should not affect your child’s fertility, but hormone therapy can”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Oriel Frankie Ashcroft/Pexels
I am someone who wholeheartedly supports and respects every member of the trans community. I am researching, educating myself and listening to conversations as much as I can. I have never felt it wise to share opinions or negativity at all in case I am misinformed or off the mark. I do not want to wade into a discourse and debate that is raging and is very tricky to navigate. So many people are trolling and attacking the trans community. It means that something quite innocent, slightly misguided or innocuous can be seen as hateful and deemed to be anti-trans or vile. Whilst Murphy was not trying to settle an argument, put out a big statement or political view or stir controversy, as a public figure, her personal posts are always vulnerable to being shared wider. Whether you agree with what she said or felt that it has made it even more imperative that artists are responsible and informed when making statements like that – even though she was expressing a personal belief and not trying to debate fact or make offend -, it is clear that the response from Ninja Tune is too harsh. More a dirty bomb, pulling promotion of Hit Parade and making a very clear point can be seen in two ways. It is reassuring that a label will take decisive measures if they feel an artist has acted irresponsibly and caused a lot of offence. This word, ‘problematic’, come to mind. Whilst a lot of those sharing their views about children/the trans community are very wrong and offensive, Róisín Murphy’s viewpoint is not poisonous or attacking the trans community. Her heart seems to be in the right place - although you can see why at a time when trans rights and the community are in focus and getting a lot of abuse, that some might have felt Murphy was on the wrong side/in the middle of right and wrong. In any case, unlike some male artists who have not been punished for being definitively anti-trans, Murphy has wholeheartedly apologised and stated that this was the last remark about the trans community.
That seems to signal that, whilst her words are not false and something she regrets, she is not someone trying to make anyone upset or offended. It was a personal opinion on a very divisive and complicated subject that has been made public and, as a result, led to a very strong riposte from her label. There does need to be more conversation and education out there for artists. It would be great to see more artists, particularly men, actively supporting the trans community. The music community has many great trans artists in its midst. There are many more coming through fearful of judgment and trolling simply because they want to be who they are meant to be. This idea that many people online need to attack and spit at something they do not understand and does not impact them in any way is very strange. It is almost like a wave or cult. I think there need to be consistency when it comes to how labels deal with artists who have deservedly or not been attacked because of what they say about trans people. In a world where some very unpleasant male artists reign and are celebrated, one cannot help but feel there is something sexist and misogynistic about this. Alice Cooper has not received the same outcome as Murphy. Why do male artists get a pass or small slap on the wrist?! My views and love for the trans community is very clear. I don’t want to get into a debate about free speech and whether people who are anti-trans should do so because they have that ‘right’. I am vehemently against anyone anti-trans, though I think Róisín Murphy was more concerned with children’s’ wellbeing and maybe it was perceived as being transphobic. It is a very unfortunate situation where the end result is disproportionate when you look at what started this. Cancel culture is a term that is thrown around. It is another debate I am not getting into that much. Should ‘comedian’ Graham Linehan be ‘cancelled’ for being anti-trans – and seemingly having free speech – and others are not?!
When it comes to Róisín Murphy, her new album is going to be damaged because she cannot promote it. There is no news whether she will be dropped and how things will shape up going forward. Her social media accounts are still active; Murphy has not posted further after her apology. Many feel the apology was unwarranted given the nature of the comment. Others feel she was walking things back and it was too little too late. When it comes to music, the fact that Róisín Murphy has suffered quite a heavy blow when many male peers have not been accosted or spoken to, it does raise new issues. Can a label like Ninja Tune be seen as ethical and correct regarding the trans debate when they are showing misogyny and sexism?! People can quibble about it, but it does seem like a male artist on their label would not get the same treatment. If Róisín Murphy has not been ‘cancelled’ completely – she will record more albums and tours -, this is a dark-black mark against her name. Ninja Tune have shown their hand when it comes to artists who cause controversy regarding things like trans rights and children (and the ethics around puberty blockers). It is clear that there needs to be conversation and more defined guidelines when it comes to artists across all labels and how they are treated if a remark their make is seen as controversial or discriminating. Maybe Ninja Tune are being cautious and do not want negative attention to follow press for Hit Parade. Does this mean that Róisín Murphy has a future and stable at the label? It is a very tense and unclear situation. All we do know is that, rather than create conversation and greater awareness about the trans community and all sides of it – from transitioning treatment and surgery to hormone blockers and trans rights -, it has stirred up a somewhat sexist and misogynistic storm – something that has been present and correct in music for decades! The focus is now away from trans rights and the community and on to how women are treated in the industry compared to men. I do hope that artists who are definitely anti-trans do not come out and make statements – like Alice Cooper -, as it is hurting people in ways many cannot comprehend or appreciate. It causes so much online hatred to people who deserve love and respect. Whereas Ninja Tune could have spoken to Murphy and accepted the apology, the promotion ban has made things much worse. When it comes to the trans community and ensuring that they are not misrepresented and attacked, what is to be done?! This clash between Ninja Tune and one of their most loved artist has taken the conversation about trans rights…
PHOTO CREDIT: Katie Rainbow 🏳️🌈/Pexels
IN the wrong direction.