Jess Glynne uses transphobic slur while joking about taking a ‘bad man’ to a trans strip club
(Screenshots from the Mo Gilligan Podcast)
Singer Jess Glynne has been condemned for using an anti-trans slur during a podcast interview.
The “Hold My Hand” singer made the comments in an episode of The Mo Gilligan Podcast.
During the interview, Glynne described a time when she took a friend to a “tranny strip club”, laughing at how he was seemingly uncomfortable.
“This is probably the funniest bit,” Glynne says in a clip widely circulated on social media. “We got to the end of our trail, whatever. It was like a tranny like strip club thing. He’s this bad man like, ‘What is this?’ There was just men dressed as… he was stood in the corner like, ‘Oh my days.'” (Update: Jess Glynne has since apologised for her use of a transphobic slur).
The episode, which was uploaded on Friday (5 March), has since been taken off all streaming platforms. But the LGBT+ community was having none of it, and quickly called out Glynne for thinking that her use of an anti-trans slur was OK.
Lucia Blayke, founder of London Trans+ Pride and the Harpies strip club, shared a clip from the interview on Twitter. She commented: “As the owner of a ‘tranny strip club’, I’d ask Jess Glynne to not use slurs to describe us or call us ‘men in wigs’.
“In fact, just leave us out of your funny anecdotes, we are not a laughing stock, we are human beings.”
As the owner of a “tranny strip club.” I’d ask Jess Glynne not to use slurs to describe us or call us “men in wigs.” Infact just leave us out of your funny anecdotes, we are not a laughing stock, we are human beings. ???? pic.twitter.com/oZ6rWR5Ipw
— Lucia Blayke (@luciablayke) March 7, 2021
Olivia, a trans stripper who works at a trans strip club, called Jess Glynne’s use of the slur an “attack” and told her: “You are not welcome in our spaces, or worthy of our excellence.”
“Trans rights are seriously under attack and we get this s**t,” she added.
As a trans stripper who works at a trans strip club. This is an attack from Jess Glynne.
You are not welcome in our spaces ! Or worthy of our excellence
Trans rights are seriously under attack and we get this shit
Absolutely no thanks Mary xoxoxo— Olivia N-J? (@glam_clamxo) March 7, 2021
Drag Race UK season two contestant Sister Sister said that a “slur that rolls as easily as it did suggests that Jess Glynne doesn’t consider the t word a slur at all”.
She continued: “The way it’s such an outdated term being used by someone within the LGBT community is a massive shame.”
A slur that rolls out as easily as it did suggests that #JessGlynne doesn’t consider the t word a slur at all. The way it’s such an outdated term being used by someone within the lgbt community is a massive shame.— I am Sister Sister (@sistersisterhun) March 7, 2021
As a community we can do better than this. It’s important as allies (when safe to do so) to correct people when they get pronouns/terminology wrong. Prevention rather than punishment. Cos lord it makes people look so idiotic and can be dangerous spewing slurs like that.— I am Sister Sister (@sistersisterhun) March 7, 2021
Stand-up comedian and drag performer Holly Stars wrote on Twitter that the Glynne interview is “double trash” because of the use of an anti-trans slur as well as bringing a “straight/homophobic” man into a “queer safe space”.
The Jess Glynne video is double trash. There’s the slur of course – and the punchline of the whole story in which she uses the slur is that she takes a (presumably) straight/homophobic man to a queer safe space and how funny it is for her to see his reaction. She can get to fuck.
— Holly Stars (@hollywstars) March 7, 2021
Jacob Edward, who was the first non-binary presenter on BBC Radio 1, added simply: “Jess Glynne, you really could have worded this a lot better.”
CW – t slur
Jess Glynne, you really could have worded this a lot better ? pic.twitter.com/aRiYuIsYWl— jacob but broken (they/them) (@ItsJacobEdward) March 7, 2021
Both Jess Glynne and Mo Gilligan have been contacted for comment.
