Lynda Carter: Don't Blame Trans Women for Threats to Women's Rights

Lynda Carter is proving herself a superpowered ally, calling out those who claim transgender women are threatening cisgender women's rights.

"I cannot think of anything that helps women's rights less than pinning the blame on trans women," TV's Wonder Woman tweeted Tuesday. "They face so much violence and scrutiny as is. Leave them alone and focus on the real war on women. It's happening in the courts and legislatures around this country."

Carter did not name any names, but two other celebrities, Bette Midler and Macy Gray, have made anti-trans comments in the past few days. Midler tweeted Monday that women are being erased due by inclusive language around reproduction, saying, "We are being stripped of our rights over our bodies, our lives and even of our name! They don't call us 'women' anymore; they call us 'birthing people' or 'menstruators', and even 'people with vaginas'!" Such language is meant to be inclusive of trans men and nonbinary people.

Gray appeared Monday on Piers Morgan Uncensored, and discussing trans women athletes, she said, "Just because you go change your parts doesn't make you a woman, sorry."

Both received significant backlash along with some praise, and both have now asserted they support trans people. Midler tweeted Tuesday that she was commenting on an op-ed in The New York Times and that "there was no intention of anything exclusionary or transphobic in what I said." However, the Times piece, by Pamela Paul, denounced inclusive language too and claimed it marginalizes cis women. Midler called the article "fascinating and well written."

Gray tweeted that she "wasn't defining trans women" because she doesn't know what it means to be one, and she later issued a statement saying, "I have nothing but love for the LGBTQ+ and transgender community and have been a supporter since day one. My statement on Piers Morgan was grossly misunderstood. I don't hate anyone. I respect everyone's right to feel comfortable in their bodies and live their own truth."

Carter, meanwhile, is being lauded for pointing out that courts and state legislatures, not trans people, are the ones undermining women's rights. She did not give examples, but they abound. There's the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and allowing states to ban or severely restrict abortion, while the state lawmakers who claim that excluding trans women from female sports is about "fairness" to cis women are often the same ones behind abortion bans.

Carter has frequently stood up for the LGBTQ+ community. One of her tweets last month was a takedown of far-right Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, who said parents should take their children to church, not drag shows, and Carter said, "Have you ever been to drag brunch? They have bread and wine, loving community, and men in fabulous dresses. Sounds a little like church to me!"

Among the responses to Carter's latest tweet: