Bethenny Frankel.Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Bethenny Frankelis facing accusations of transphobia following a discussion she had on her podcast about pronouns and gender identity.
In last week’s episode of the podcastJust B with Bethenny Frankel,theReal Housewives of New York Cityalum, 50, brought up pronouns in reference to 11-year-old daughterBrynand her school.
“We have to go into the fact that I did a Zoom for my daughter’s school and [had] the pronouns conversation with each teacher, each parent, each child,” she said. “And my daughter says in school, too, that everybody has to say their pronouns.”
“And my daughter didn’t even know what hers were, and I can’t even blame [her], I know what I am or what I think I am, but I have never said it out loud — it hasn’t come up for me — and so she said she didn’t know exactly how to say it, someone said it before her,” Frankel continued.
Bethenny Frankel with daughter Bryn.Bethenny Frankel/instagram
The Skinnygirl mogul then launched into a conversation about stories she has heard about sleepaway camps over the summer, noting that Bryn did not attend any.
“It’s an all-girls camp and a person with a penis, who identifies as being a girl, went to the camp and was in the bunk with the girls. And the girls saw her — because it’s her, because it’s a male anatomy but identifying as a woman — so the other girls saw a penis,” she said.
Frankel said “the parents obviously weren’t that happy” and added that she heard “this girl with a penis was making out with a lot of different girls at the camp.”
She also commented on trans athletes competing in sports, questioning whether it is “fair” and suggesting that the sports be graded “on a curve.” (Recentresearchhas shown that there is no scientific case for excluding trans girls from girls' sports)
Frankel additionally implied that gender and sexual identity could just be a “phase.”
Cindy Ord/Getty Images.Cindy Ord/Getty
She later noted that Bryn is “amazing” when it comes to the topic of gender identity.
“My daughter understands all of this, it’s amazing, they have different language, different understandings, but she also hasn’t seen a penis. So, in a camp, she’d see girl parts so I think these conversations are also fluid,” she said.
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When Frankel wrote “@PageSixsays I’m transphobic so it must be true…” another fanresponded, “B not a good way to apologize. Your intro to the podcast WAS offensive. Let’s learn something here.”
“Not apologizing….so don’t hold your breath,” she wrote. “I didn’t do a single thing wrong. People need to be able to have discussions without fearing the cancelation citations you get excited to give. Wrong celeb. Find someone afraid to troll.”
One social media user, who identified themselves as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, said Frankel’s “transphobic” words did “damage.”
“I didn’t do one thing wrong,” theBig Shot with Bethennystar thensaid. “Conversations are healthy. Try it. Doubling down. I’m not a celeb who panics in fear of cancelation Bc I didn’t say something precisely how you needed to hear it. I don’t have a transphobic bone on my body so take it elsewhere. Watch handmaids tale.”
“You are a straight woman, I am a gay woman,” the same user replied. “How about YOU try having a conversation about why your words were extremely hurtful. I have tweeted you many times thanking you for your humanitarian work. You missed the mark on this. Admit it, learn and try harder. Like we all do.”
source: people.com
