Singer Cardi B (Photo: Facebook)
Singer Cardi B said she was not responsible for a transphobic meme shared on her Facebook page.
‘It’s come to my attention that there have been offensive posts made on what used to be my Facebook page’, the I Like It singer tweeted on Sunday.
‘For the past year and a half a FORMER team member has been the only one with access to my account’.
The LGBTI community and allies reacted with shock to a post on the 25-year-old’s official Facebook account earlier that day.
An edited image from Ed, Edd n Eddy showed the character Ralf staring out of the window. Text accompanying the image read: ‘I hope nobody sees this tranny leaving my house’.
The singer posted on Instagram text messages appearing to show her conversation with someone posting on the page. ‘I have always owned my shit’, she wrote. ‘This was the mistake of another individual and I apologize for them!’
Backlash
Although the post has now been deleted, netizens were quick to denounce the transphobic slur.
Actress Laverne Cox said on Twitter: ‘As long as its socially acceptable to make jokes about trans people, to make and share memes disparaging & demeaning trans folks, trans folks will continue to be murdered &denied civil rights’
I am a huge advocate for free speech but as long as its socially acceptable to make jokes about trans people, to make and share memes disparaging & demeaning trans folks, trans folks will continue to be murdered &denied civil rights. #TransIsBeautiful #transrightsarehumanrights
— Laverne Cox (@Lavernecox) September 16, 2018
Actress and transgender rights activist Angelica Ross also took to Twitter.
‘Black trans women are being killed because of jokes like this’ she wrote and encouraged Cardi B to apologize.
Black trans women are being killed because of jokes like this. These niggas are killing us to keep women like you @iamcardib from finding out. Cause you’ll make fun of their manhood. This is how you encourage toxic masculinity that only ends up hurting you too sis! Apologize. pic.twitter.com/eooxFrp85j
— Angelica Ross (@angelicaross) September 16, 2018
Ross later welcomed Cardi B addressing the issue in another tweet.
Cardi B came under fire earlier this year for appearing on Rita Ora’s track Girls. Critics said the track perpetuated stereotypes about girls kissing girls.
‘After the last time the LGBTQ community educated me on the right and wrong way to say things’, Cardi B wrote in her instagram post.
