Gender reveal parties have been getting the side-eye lately for various reasons, and now singer Demi Lovato has joined the chorus of skeptics. She believes the practice only highlights antiquated ideas about gender and gender identity.
On Thursday, the singer sparked outrage after sharing a 9-slide Instagram post slamming gender reveal parties – where expectant parents announce the gender of their baby via blue and pink items – for being “transphobic.”
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“This is not about being politically correct, it’s about being correct. The refusal to acknowledge this stems from a misunderstanding of what transphobia is,” the 28-year-old wrote in the caption. “Transphobia is not just prejudice or violence against an individual trans person, it is a belief system that presumes non-trans people to be more “natural” than trans people. Only individual people can self determine their gender.”
The series of text images, was a repost from LGBTQ activist Alok Vaid-Menon entitled ‘Why Gender Reveals Are Transphobic’, and began by explaining, “It’s both insincere and incorrect to pretend that gender reveal parties are not transphobic. You can’t have your proverbial pink-blue binary cake and eat it too.”
“This is not about political correctness, it’s just…correct,” she clarified. “We condemn gender reveals not because of our identity, but because of reality.”
“Transphobia is not just about prejudice against individual trans people, it’s also a way of thinking that understands non-trans people as more natural/organic and erases everyone else,” Lovato continued. “These ideas, like the gender binary, fuel mistreatment of all people, but especially trans and gender non-conforming people.”
She then asserted that “Gender reveals are based on the illusion that genitals = gender and that there are only two options “boy or girl.” This definition erases the fact that there are boys with vaginas and girls with penises and that there are people who are neither boys nor girls. The idea that sex is based on genitalia is inconsistent with science.”
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While many applauded the Albuquerque-born star’s point of view, some Twitter users blasted the star with one tweeting, “Ffs, the world has gone mental, hasbro changing Mr potato head so it’s gender neutral and now Demi Lovato thinks gender reveal parties are transphobic.”
“@ddlovato I really wish you would just focos on singing,” echoed another user. “Your ridiculous statement about gender reveal parties is both moronic and un educated. Go grab a book demi wow your so far out of your depth.”
Despite the pushback, the entertainer isn’t backing down from her stance and has since continued posting pro-LGBTQ+ content on her page, including one celebrating The House’s decision on Thursday to pass the Equality Act, “a far-reaching measure that has been decades in the making and would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
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