R&B singer and actor Ginuwine sparked a heated debate on Twitter after rejecting the advances of a transwoman on the popular reality TV series "Celebrity Big Brother UK."
On the recent episode of the hit show, Ginuwine was asked whether or not he would date a transwoman by fellow housemate India Willoughby.
“You would date me, yeah,” Willoughby, who is a trans woman, asked. “Not if you were trans,” Ginuwine replied.
She tried to plant a kiss on him but her advances were not reciprocated at all. It appeared from the clip that she was aggressively attempting to kiss him against his wishes. In the clip from the recent broadcast, Willoughby can be heard saying that she would not include the word "trans" in front of "woman" because she is just a woman and wants to be accepted as such.
After being rejected, Willoughby stormed off according to reports. On Twitter, Ginuwine supporters called out the unfair accusations of transphobia stating that he was exercising his own agency and had a right to reject a kiss from any person he was not attracted to.
No, the trans woman should be under fire for sexually harassing Ginuwine https://t.co/SiZozrAS24
— reesha. (@Tareesha) January 8, 2018
Trans activist Kat Blaque simply calls this move by Willoughby assault.
Can anyone give me an example of any person arguing that in this situation Ginuwine should have accepted the kiss of a person he doesn't want to kiss? The responses to this suggest that trans women somehow advocate for forcing people to accept things like this. No.this is assault https://t.co/cwDzJtFu5J
— Kat Blaque (@kat_blaque) January 8, 2018
Why is Ginuwine “under fire” for refusing a kiss from a trans woman?
Isn’t the whole purpose of the #MeToo movement to fight for people’s right to say “No” to unwanted sexual advances?
“No” means “No”.
— NUFF (@nuffsaidNY) January 8, 2018
okay, so lemme get this right: Ginuwine is ASKED if he’d ever date a trans woman. He RESPONDS no. The trans woman asking then IGNORES both his stated preferences and his agency and TRIES TO KISS Ginuwine, which he rejects.
and all this makes Ginuwine transphobic?
— RODNEY BLU (@RodneyBlu) January 9, 2018
Critics, however, saw it differently.
Ginuwine discriminates against trans women, as do most cis men.
That was India's point. #cbb— ????Pineapple Jimmy (@TonyTheNarwhal) January 7, 2018
The shit between India and Ginuwine IS transphobia & im tired of them saying that it isn’t. If you say you won’t date someone because they’re trans but you would date them if you didn’t know, IT IS TRANSPHOBIA.
— Kiera (@ForeverRawrrr) January 7, 2018
Irrespective of how nasty India is, (& she hates other trans ppl too), does Ginuwine know how much he's insulted ALL trans women by saying he'd never date a trans woman. Also presumptuous & arrogant of him to assume we'd all be lining up to go out with him.
— Katie (@Katie97531200) January 7, 2018
So, who is right?
