Róisín Murphy says backlash over puberty blocker comments ‘wasn’t that bad’
Róisín Murphy has said an interview that the backlash against her ‘wasn’t that bad’. (Getty)
Irish singer Róisín Murphy says the backlash against her controversial comments on puberty blockers “wasn’t that bad.”
The singer-songwriter and producer landed in hot water in late 2023 after sharing a post on Facebook which claimed “big pharma” is giving “mixed-up little kids” puberty blockers and described the hormones as “f**ked”.
“Please don’t call me a TERF,” Murphy said in the since-deleted post. “please don’t keep using that word against women. I beg you. But puberty blockers are f**ked, absolutely desolate, big pharma laughing all the way to the bank,”
“Little mixed-up kids are vulnerable and need to be protected, that’s just true.”
The term puberty blockers refer to an array of medications which halt certain effects of puberty for transgender under-18s. They are described as physically reversible by the NHS.
Last month, NHS England confirmed that trans youth would no longer be prescribed puberty blockers at NHS England gender identity clinics, in a move described as a “blow” to gender-affirming healthcare.
After her remarks were made public, Murphy issued an apology to her fans, many of whom were shocked that the singer, who has cultivated a dedicated LGBTQ+ fanbase over the course of her career, would take such a stance over trans healthcare.
Again addressing the comments in an interview with France24 English, Murphy said that the backlash “wasn’t that bad” and constituted a few refunded tickets.
“The internet was not that bad,” she said. “I didn’t get these death threats or anything like that. I got lots of support. I had three or four people ask for tickets back.
“So, it really wasn’t terribly bad.”
Murphy also claimed that the views expressed in her comments hadn’t been seen as “massively difficult” and that many people could “understand where I was coming from, at the very least.”
“So it wasn’t so bad, and I’m still here, doing the best tour of my life, I think.”
The controversy coincided with the release of Murphy sixth solo album, Hit Parade, which became the singer’s first solo top 10 album of her career.
Murphy has been touring across the UK, Europe, and North America as part of her album’s release until 9 November 2024. Her final show is in San Francisco, California.
