Róisín Murphy denies label is donating album proceeds to pro-trans charities
Róisín Murphy said her label is ‘not intending to donate proceeds’ from her new album to pro-trans charities in the wake of her controversial remarks about puberty blockers. (Getty)
Róisín Murphy has denied claims that her record label is planning to donate proceeds from her new album to trans charities.
The Irish artist has been mired in controversy since she posted a comment criticising puberty blockers and called trans youth “little mixed up kids” on Facebook, which sparked huge backlash from her LGBTQ+ fanbase and queer allies alike.
Murphy apologised for her anti-trans comments and said it was “heart-breaking” to see the “ramifications of [her] actions and the divisions it has caused”.
In the wake of the controversy, it was reported that Ninja Tune planned on donating proceeds from Hit Parade – Murphy’s newest album, which dropped Friday (8 September) – to pro-trans groups. It was also claimed that the UK-based label halted all marketing and promotion for the record.
However, Murphy emphatically denied this after a user on X, formally known as Twitter, asked how the singer-songwriter felt about the “label saying it was going to donate to pro-trans charities”.
“Well, those reports were unconfirmed by the label,” she replied.
“They have made no official statement whatsoever and they are not intending to donate proceeds from the charity. I checked!”
PinkNews has reached out to Ninja Tune for comment.
Puberty blockers can be used to delay the changes of puberty in trans, non-binary and gender diverse youth. The benefits of this kind of gender-affirming care are well documented.
One study found trans teens who received puberty blockers reported significantly less suicidality and mental health problems.
Trans youth who had access to gender-affirming healthcare – including puberty blockers and hormone therapy – significantly less likely to become depressed or attempt suicide in the following year, according to another study.
On 29 August, Róisín Murphy said she “cannot apologise enough” for her anti-trans comments “being the reason for this eruption of damaging and potentially dangerous social media fire and brimstone” in a post on X.
She wrote that she’s spent her “whole life celebrating diversity and different views” and has never aimed her music at any certain “pockets of any demographic”. But she understood why her comments “have been directly hurtful” to many people.
“You must have felt a huge shock, blindsided by this so abruptly,” she said. “I understand fixed views are not helpful but I really hope people can understand my concern was out of love for all of us.”
Murphy then vowed to “completely bow out” of the conversation in the public domain and thanked fans for “taking the trouble” to read her apology.
