9 celebrities who condemned fellow stars for their transphobic and homophobic remarks

By: Lora Reyes - 2 years ago

Over the past years, a handful of celebrities have been called out not only by their fans and activists but also by fellow celebrities for their homophobic and transphobic claims.

Despite some of them having a close relationship with each other, some stars didn’t hesitate to condemn them, with others even going as far as to cut ties and distance themselves.

A good case in point is Dave Bautista, who recently revealed he covered up a tattoo that was connected to a person who he once considered a friend.

Speaking to GQ, the Filipino-American wrestler-turned-actor shared the stories behind many of his tattoos, including the waving flags of the Philippines and Greece and the three yellow stars and sun of the Philippine flag.

“I was always really just taught to be proud of my heritage,” Bautista said, who comes from Greek and Filipino descent. “I’m always very proud of my roots and I display it on my body.”

Bautista also shared that there were tattoos he regretted getting, so he covered them up. One of the tattoos he ended up covering was a team logo of a person he once considered a friend who made homophobic and offensive statements.

“It used to be a team logo, I was part of a team of a person I considered a friend and someone I really looked up to and then he later came out publicly with some anti-gay statements,” he said.

For Bautista, he took those comments personally as his mother is a lesbian and he’s been a long-time ally to the community. “I had a huge issue with it. It’s a personal issue [for] me. My mom is a lesbian, and I just could no longer call him a friend,” he continued.

While Bautista didn’t mention who that person was, many speculated that he was referring to boxer-politician Manny Pacquiao, where Bautista became the latter’s friend and part of his entourage during Pacquiao’s fight against British boxer Ricky Hatton in 2009.

However, their friendship ended when Pacquiao made offensive remarks in 2016, where he relegated the gay community to an animal.

In an interview, Pacquiao said that “there are no animals who engage in sex with the same gender.” He even stated that those who engage in same-sex relations are worse than animals.

At the time, many celebrities spoke out against the boxer, including Bautista who called Pacquiao a “f*cking idiot.” Brands like Nike also distanced themselves from the boxer, terminating their contract with Pacquiao

This Bautista-Pacquiao case isn’t the only example of celebrities who aren’t having second thoughts about calling out their fellow celebrities for their offensive statements. In fact, there are plenty who have spoken out.

Let’s take a look at some of those who fiercely slammed other people and stood up to support the LGBTQIA+ community.

Vice Ganda

Celebrities - Vice Ganda

Bautista isn’t the only one who condemned Pacquiao’s homophobic statement. Many Filipino celebrities also called out the boxer, and one of them is It’s Showtime host and comedian Vice Ganda.

In a series of tweets, Vice Ganda slammed Pacquiao, saying that the LGBTQIA+ community members are humans, not animals. He then added infidelity is much more of a sin than engaging in sexual relations with the same gender.

“Ang pagpatol sa parehong kasarian ay masahol pa sa hayup? E ang pakikiapid habang ika’y may asawa, anung kababuyan ito? Pakisagot, Manny!” Vice Ganda wrote.

(To engage in sexual relations with the same gender is a sin? Then what do you call those who are married, yet engage in a marital affair? Answer it, Manny!)

“Manny, ‘di ka namin mapipigil kung gusto mong husgahan ang mga bakla sa mundo. Siguraduhin mo lang na ‘di ka namin makakasalubong sa impyerno,” he said in a separate tweet.

(We can’t stop you from judging gay people in the world, Manny. Just make sure we won’t see you in hell.)

Vice Ganda then dissed Pacquiao by tweeting that the Senate needs someone who’s an expert in politics, law, and economics, not “false prophets.”

He then finished his thread by denouncing the boxer-turned-lawmaker for his absence in many Congress sessions and for thinking of himself highly.

Ice Seguerra

Ice Seguerra also broke his silence and spoke out against Pacquiao’s statement comparing gays to animals. Seguerra took to Instagram to express his frustration, even calling Pacquiao an “ignorant, bigoted hypocrite.”

“I am so f*ckin’ mad I don’t know what to say. You might’ve done our country proud but with your statement, you just showed the whole country why we shouldn’t vote for you. And yes, I think you are an ignorant, bigoted hypocrite. You made me lose all [the] respect that I had for you, Mr. Pacquiao,” the singer said.

Seguerra also called on the public’s attention to know who they’re voting for at the time of the 2016 national and local election. “Ang kailangan ng bansang ito ay mga taong nag-iisip. Utang na loob, kilalanin ninyo ang iboboto ninyo,” he wrote in the caption.

(Our country needs someone who thinks. Please consider and know who you’re voting for.)

Daniel Radcliffe

In 2020, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling went under fire for her anti-trans tweets. In one tweet, she mocked the gender-neutral term “people who menstruate” used in an article. After receiving backlash from her mockery, she then defended herself and explained her point, which only drew more criticism not only from Potterheads but also from different organizations and many celebrities.

Among those who condemned Rowling was Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, who wrote his response through a blog posted in The Trevor Project.

“Transgender women are women,” Radcliffe said. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”

The actor went on to address the fans of the franchise, saying that he hoped that “you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you.”

“If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that the strength is found in diversity and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life—then that is between you and the book that you read, and that is sacred,” Radcliffe wrote.

“And in my opinion, nobody can touch that,” he added. “It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.”

In a 2022 interview with IndieWire, Radcliffe explained that the reason why he spoke out against Rowling was that he “wanted them [queer and trans kids and young people who resonated with Harry Potter] that not everybody in the franchise” felt what Rowling felt about transgender people.

“It was really important as I’ve worked with the Trevor Project for more than 10 years, and so I don’t think I would’ve been able to look myself in the mirror had I not said anything,” Radcliffe told the outlet. “But it’s not mine to guess what’s going on in someone else’s head.”

Emma Watson

True to Radcliffe’s words, not everyone in the Harry Potter franchise shared the same sentiments as Rowling. In fact, one of the most vocal stars who responded was Emma Watson.

In a Twitter thread, Watson wrote: “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.”

“I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you, and love you for who you are,” she continued.

Rupert Grint

Rupert Grint, who’s famously known for playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter franchise, also expressed his support for the trans community amid Rowling’s transphobic claims.

In a statement he issued to the U.K.’s The Sunday Times, Grint said: “I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.”

Dua Lipa

In 2021, Dua Lipa spoke out against rapper DaBaby—who she collaborated with in the remix version of her single “Levitating”—after the latter made homophobic remarks during a live performance.

In a video that surfaced on the internet, DaBaby was heard saying: “If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up… Fellas, if you ain’t sucking dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”

After Lipa heard about DaBaby’s comments, the “Don’t Start Now” hitmaker took to her Instagram story to express her disgust at the rapper’s comments.

“I’m surprised and horrified at DaBaby’s comments. I really don’t recognize [you] as the person I worked with,” she said. “I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I stand 100% with the LGBTQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV/AIDS.”

Shortly after DaBaby made the controversial remarks, it was reported that DaBaby’s credit as the featured rapper in Lipa’s “Levitating” has been removed and the remix version of the song was being slowly removed from some radio stations.

Elton John

Legendary singer Elton John, who founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation to help fund and support HIV education, research, and treatment, also condemned DaBaby over his misinformed and homophobic statements about HIV/AIDS.

The “Rocketman” shared on his Instagram his shock and disappointment at the rapper. “We’ve been shocked to read about the HIV misinformation and homophobic statements made at a recent DaBaby show,” wrote the Elton John AIDS Foundation on the singer’s account. “This fuels stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic.⁣”

John went on to share facts and debunk some misconceptions surrounding HIV, ending the post with a reminder to “spread compassion and love” for marginalized communities.

“Homophobic and HIV mistruths have no place in our society and industry and as musicians, we must spread compassion and love for the most marginalized people in our communities,” he stated. “A musician’s job is to bring people together.⁣”

Jameela Jamil

The Good Place actor Jameela Jamil was one of the many celebrities who voiced out their opinions when Dave Chappelle’s comedy special aired on Netflix. The said special featured transphobic and offensive material, where Chappelle could be seen mocking the trans community and defending Rowling.

“I really wish I hadn’t seen Chappelle’s closing show. I hope he stays away for a long time, maybe until this legit obsession with undermining trans people goes away,” Jamil tweeted at the time.

“Such a smart man, so willfully misinformed and committed to showing us what an out-of-touch bellend he’s becoming,” she continued.

Jamil also expressed her support to all the staff who took part in a protest against the streaming service giant. In a video released by Team Trans, an American activist group, Jamil said: “I know it’s not easy. I know it’s scary. I have so much respect for you and so much love and gratitude for you for sticking up for the LGBT+ community’s right to dignity and safety and respect.”

Gigi Gorgeous

YouTube star and transgender activist Gigi Gorgeous also spoke out against Dave Chappelle’s anti-trans material in his comedy special released in 2021.

“This is not the first time that we, the LGBTQIA+ community, have been made the butt of [Chappelle’s] jokes over the years and have been told to brush it off for the sake of ‘comedy,’” Gorgeous said through her Instagram account. “But when do we say enough is enough? When violent attacks on the community, and even more so on our transgender brothers and sisters, are at an all-time high[?] When do we stop ignoring how they contribute to the hate and violence we have to endure on a daily basis[?]”

“Let’s just be clear here: we are not a f*cking joke,” she added.

She then called on her followers to stop celebrating those who “stand on the necks of others for laughs” and to educate each other. “As a collective society, we must be better. The answer is not cancelation, it’s education.”

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