Dylan Mulvaney addresses critics: ‘Dehumanization has never fixed anything’
Heather Hamilton
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Transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney spoke directly to the backlash of criticism brought on by recent partnerships.
Mulvaney, a biological male who identifies as a female, took to TikTok Thursday evening for the first time since early April to address the nearly 11 million people “who at some point liked me enough to hit the follow button on these apps.”
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“What I’m struggling with most is that I grew up in a conservative family, and I’m extremely privileged because they still love me very much. And I grew up in the church, and I still have my faith, which I am really trying to hold on to right now, but I’ve always tried to love everyone, you know, even the people who make it really, really hard,” Mulvaney said. “I’m embarrassed to even tell you this, but I was nervous that you were going to start believing those things that they were saying about me since it is so loud. But I’m just going to go ahead and trust that the people who know me and my heart won’t listen to that noise.”
Mulvaney, whose partnerships with Bud Light, Nike, and Maybelline have created a firestorm of criticism and calls to boycott the various companies and their products, also spoke to the criticism.
“And I think it’s OK to be frustrated with someone or confused, but what I’m struggling to understand is the need to dehumanize and to be cruel,” Mulvaney said. “I just, I don’t think that’s right. Dehumanization has never fixed anything in history, ever.”
Conservative celebrities have spoken out against the business partnerships with Mulvaney.
Travis Tritt announced he was dropping all Anheuser-Busch products from his tour, Kid Rock shot a few cases of Bud Light, and John Rich asked fans about which beer should replace Bud Light.
Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies also slammed Nike’s partnership with Mulvaney as “a parody of what women are,” along with Caitlyn Jenner calling it “a shame to see such an iconic American company go so woke!”
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Despite the criticism, Mulvaney said: “What I’m interested in is getting back to making people laugh and to never stop learning. And going forward, I wanna share parts of me on here that have nothing to do with my identity. And I’m hoping those parts will still be exciting to you and will be enough. And to those of you who support me and choose to see my humanity even if you don’t fully understand or relate to me, thank you.”
Mulvaney began garnering attention in 2022 after sharing details about the transitioning journey on social media, calling it a “Days of Girlhood” series.