Ex-Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, who tweeted in support of JK Rowling after the famous author was branded a “transphobe”, has tweeted again, this time comparing drag shows to black face.
Davies, who has faced backlash before for “anti-trans” tweets, said on December 21 that she is “fed up” of drag shows.
“Am I the only person fed up of drag shows? A parody of what a real woman is, like black face,” she tweeted.
Apparently without irony, she went on to offer her own caricature of what it is to be a woman: “Woman are juggling kids, rushing out a wholesome dinner, doing the laundry & cleaning, holding down a job all with period pains & leaky boobs if breast feeding.”
“Enough of the stereotypes,” Davies added, again seemingly unaware that characterising women as mothers and wives who cook, raise children and do housework is what many might call an outdated stereotype itself.
Twitter was quick to demonstrate that Davies’ sentiments towards drag shows are shared by many who are anti-trans.
I always enjoyed them. In this climate I’m starting to feel resentment. It’s a battle to be aware of what is happening to women and not letting this perversion of a rights movement take everything down with it, like genuine transexuals, drag shows… LGB needs to separate from T.
— Laura Jones (@laurajanejenny) December 21, 2019
We agree entirely, Sharron. The double standards take some getting your head round.
— WeAreFairCop (@WeAreFairCop) December 21, 2019
Davies later replied to someone who agreed with her and added that drag shows are a “mockery and monstrous depiction of females”, saying: “That’s my point it’s mockery! But on a grand sexualised scale these days every where!!”
Despite having tweeted several stereotypes herself just hours before, Davies added: “Re enforcing ridiculous imaginary stereotypes.”
Then, there is the comparison between drag shows and racist blackface to contend with.
“Many black women have asked feminists to stop using this comparison, and that’s enough for me. There are detailed threads explaining it, however,” said one Twitter user.
I get what you’re saying but WOC in the US have written about how offensive they find this comparison.
— Gill Fairhurst 🏁 🏳️🕸🤐 (@bophebe) December 21, 2019
Davies continued replying to people commenting on her tweet, including replying to one user who said “Don’t forget they give wonderful cuddles and massive emotional support to us men” with “Ah bless, yes they do, merry Christmas & we get them back too ( hopefully) x.”
Multiple people asked Davies to stop tweeting, with one person asking her family to turn off the WiFI and “stage an intervention”.
Eventually, Gay Twitter just began tweeting memes at Davies.
He’ll yeah Shazza!!!1 pic.twitter.com/8Rr4Rccpdt
— will do hot takes for money (@FOGplaya) December 21, 2019
WOWSERS pic.twitter.com/1nbaIOYVLB
— notgavin 🌹 (@notgavin) December 21, 2019
Davies previously tweeted her support for JK Rowling, who defended Maya Forstater – the researcher who took her old employer to court claiming that her anti-trans “gender-critical” views were a protected belief under the Equality Act 2010.
The judge ruled that Forstater’s beliefs, which included saying trans women are men and that using non-binary people’s pronouns is like being given the date-rape drug rohypnol, are “not worthy of respect in a democratic society”.
The day after the ruling, JK Rowling voiced her support for Forstater and was immediately accused of “transphobia” – again.
Earlier this year, three national LGBT+ sports organisations in the UK branded the gold-medal-winning former Olympian Davies “transphobic” for her views on trans women competing in sports.