Airyn, son of De Niro, certainly made headlines thanks to his rather nebulous statement that urged being ‘mindful of other people’s circumstances.’ But the online public thought otherwise, some not supporting it at all. The tweet brewed a furious debate about trans rights, women’s spaces, and whether Airyn lives by his own word.
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The original tweet asked whether Airyn-the trans guy-had considered the feelings that women may experience with his alleged presence in their bathrooms. Oh wow, responders came flooding in. TenRich was straightforward: he labeled trans people “sociopathic narcissists.” Then, Phairy Megan took it somewhat far, accusing Robert De Niro of having a horrendous childhood-unsubstantiated, I must stress. Oh dear.
HunkyDory offered a well-thought slightly harsh view, claiming that womanhood doesn’t end with appearances and that trans rights shouldn’t come at the expense of other people’s comfort. HappyDaze suggested the more diplomatic solution of all-gender toilets, not a bad idea, although the internet basically takes everything down a notch.
MAGAgranny just had to go for hard-hitting put-downs of De Niro’s parenting, while Phil Lip threw in a meme, fairly classy, comparing Airyn to the Island Boys. Lady Justice could not resist the viewpoint shared by many, that it is the trans movement that places the emotional well-being of its members over the safety of women and children. Oof.
Then there were dismissive comments. Patricia McGrath-Miller went straight for the kill: ‘Trust me, nobody even cares about you.’ Tim in Texas was full of sarcasm with his comment, “Great job pops.” Counter Moves cracked a joke about trying to figure in what way Airyn resembles his illustrious father.
The meanest? What the fuck is this thing? Is what Umitchell Gant said. Although it was harsh, it did capture the raw, unfiltered flavour of the thread.
So, what is the takeaway? This tweet put a cultural debate on the table, with opinions ranging from thought-provoking critiques to outright hostility. Agree to disagree with Airyn on this one; what remains very clear is that people have feelings about this subject. And, in the online world, there’s hardly any silence on those feelings.
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Eventually, the conversation about trans rights and women’s spaces is here to stay. Wouldn’t it be nice to figure out how to talk about it without descending down into venomous personal attacks? Oh well, I’m sure I am asking for too much. The internet elite have yet to be defeated in the art of fanning flames from a single tweet.
