Jameela Jamil is facing criticism on social media following an online dispute.
The British TV presenter and actress accidentally misgendered a non-binary user on Twitter, calling them a woman, during a heated exchange on the app (September 2).
The accidental misgendering isn’t what upset folk, however, but rather Jamil’s response to the situation – apologizing initially and then dishing out some advice on how trans and gender-diverse people should bear the responsibility of not being misgendered.
“I accidentally misgendered someone who was rude to me on here because I did not know they were NB. I instantly corrected myself but NOBODY reads your bios people”, the actress said addressing the gaffe.
“*PLEASE* include your pronouns in your name on here to prevent misunderstandings/offense if it’s important to you.”
Jamil, in a second tweet, then said: “OBVIOUSLY sorry for making this innocent mistake. But if we don’t do more to prevent this mistake it will likely keep happening, which is bad for everyone. Put pronouns in your names. I’ve just done that with mine. It took two seconds.”
OBVIOUSLY sorry for making this innocent mistake. But if we don’t do more to prevent this mistake it will likely keep happening, which is bad for everyone. Put pronouns in your names. I’ve just done that with mine. It took two seconds.
— Jameela Jamil 🌈 she/her (@jameelajamil) September 2, 2022
Jamil, who publicly identified herself as queer in 2020, soon began trending on Twitter as disappointed fans pointed out that, while misgendering can happen, putting the blame on trans people is “not it”.
Many were quick to point out that cisgender people should not be telling trans people how to act if they simply want to be addressed correctly:
“Dear trans people: Jameela Jamil has issued a decree on how not to be misgendered. Let us all now obey our cisgender ally overlord”, said one user.
Dear trans people: Jameela Jamil has issued a decree on how not to be misgendered. Let us all now obey our cisgender ally overlord.
— annoying poof (@itsjacksonbbz) September 2, 2022
While another said, “Don’t blame the person you misgendered for your error, and then encourage people to make their profile names less accessible.”
If you’re not sure, either check and/or use gender neutral pronouns like they/them.
Don’t blame the person you misgendered for your error, and then encourage people to make their profile names less accessible.
— Felix Bi+ Pride Fern (@Felix_F_Fern) September 2, 2022
The backlash continued to be a hot topic on Twitter for some time after, with many users pointing out the same thing: If you accidentally misgender someone, just say sorry and move on, don’t tell them that it is, essentially, “their fault”.
While others took a more severe line with the actress, accusing her of being a TERF – the term for a ‘trans-exclusionary radical feminist’ – and many self-proclaimed TERFs on the app seemed pretty delighted with the result, tweeting things like “I love seeing them [queer people] turn on each other”.
Eye roll.
See below for more tweets on what went down.
,,,and there it is pic.twitter.com/jvNDxrER9z
— queer & plural inclusivity! ⊆⋐ (@mspecbian) September 2, 2022
i'm not mad at jameela jamil, she obviously feels embarrassed and she's over compensating, it's just so representative of how cis "allies" act when they misgender someone, its text book, every trans person has heard every excuse she's making rn a thousand times
— Brennen Beckwith (@brennenbeckwith) September 3, 2022
Jameela Jamil, giving instructions to trans people on how to stop being misgendered… Is perhaps the most Jameela Jamil thing (not staying in her lane) she's ever done 😩😩😩 https://t.co/d6L5tRvnXy
— annoying poof (@itsjacksonbbz) September 2, 2022
Interesting babes cus your pronouns werent there before when you started all of this🤔
You could have just said sorry and kept it pushing but you're acting like "The scary Non binary person is attacking me" girl bye. Be normal Jameela. pic.twitter.com/FY31xnHACz— Jamarley (@Strawburryjm) September 2, 2022
This is why jameela's nerve to tell trans people to "do more" to bring visibility to their pronouns pissed me off, as if trans people don't do enough already, from wearing pins, name tags, tattoos, etc. but it's too much work/effort for "allies" like her to just read a bio. https://t.co/LrOxkhncAD
— Vanessa Clark (@FoxxyGlamKitty) September 3, 2022
I mean a simple “sorry I misgendered you” would’ve been fine instead of shifting the blame? Like it’s fine to mess up as long as you correct yourself, but trans people don’t HAVE to do anything. Sometimes it’s not safe for people to put their pronouns in their bio.
— Shmayden Kayden 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@Kayden12344) September 2, 2022
i’m not mad at jameela jamil, she obviously feels embarrassed and she’s over compensating, it’s just so representative of how cis “allies” act when they misgender someone, its text book, every trans person has heard every excuse she’s making rn a thousand times
— Brennen Beckwith (@brennenbeckwith) September 3, 2022
Everyone having to have a take & big argument about Jameela Jamil is exactly what I’m talking about when I’m saying you shouldn’t spend all your time attacking allies over nothing. Transphobes are taking healthcare away from children and doxing your families, this is meaningless
— Katy Montgomerie 🦗 (@KatyMontgomerie) September 3, 2022