Shocked to see this transphobic meme posted by screen legend Mamie Van Doren on Facebook today.
We just celebrated her here on The Wow Report, as we have many times, for her recent 90th birthday, but a transphobic meme aimed at Caitlyn Jenner, Chelsea Manning, Kristen Beck (and even Barack Obama) has many of her fans saddened. (This one is.)
Mamie is a liberal Democrat who has been quite vocal of her hate for Trump, posting a rant about him after this.
At first fans thought Mamie might have been hacked but she clapped back against one commenter who said,
“Disappointed in you for posting this. At least we know who you are as a person.”
To which Mamie replied,
“Brad lighten up. If you truly believe I am a bad person leave my site… NOW!
Mamie added insult to injury by misgendering Jenner,
“I dislike Jenner intensely after meeting him. It’s best to ignore assholes like him.”
Mamie further defended her post by saying that she knew and admired trans pioneer Christine Jorgensen. I posted her tribute and memories Jorgensen here on WOW.
Mamie previously wrote (not misgendering Jorgensen, I guess because she liked her),
“Banning transgender people from the military is about as un-American and unconstitutional as you can get.
They serve honorably and voluntarily, and to ban them based on their sexuality is blatantly unconstitutional. It is the decree of a despot–a small-minded and un-presidential act that shines a bright light into the darkness of the FAKE PRESIDENT’s heart.
…some years ago I met Christine Jorgensen, the first widely known transgender woman, who underwent sexual reassignment surgery.
She was in all the headlines in late 1952 when the series of surgical procedures were performed to change her from a man to a woman. By the time I met her in the late 1980s she was suffering from liver cancer. We got on really well. She was funny and interesting to talk to, and interested in what you had to say as well. She wore her fame and historical significance gracefully.”
Sounds like an advocate doesn’t it? Not really.
One former fan commented,
“Wow. Didn’t think you were a TERF, Mamie. Pretty disappointed.”
Mamie had her defenders, her older fans who thought it was hilarious to make fun of transgender military personnel just as Biden has undone Trump’s trans military ban. These same people saw no problem with Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben and Gone with the Wind when racist issues were finally being addressed.
So, turning 90 and still looking great is one thing, but once you refuse to learn from your mistakes Mamie, you’re old and outdated. This is sad and will tarnish your legacy.
UPDATE: After receiving many notes of disappointment about how hurtful her post was to the LGBTQ community, Mamie posted this non-apology;
“I seem to have stirred up a hornets nest with my earlier post. I’m sorry so many of you are upset. it was intended as a joke without malice. If you are not happy with me, there are millions of other pages for you to browse. Sayanora”
Not sure how posting a nasty meme is “ignoring” someone, but this post was then commented on by many of her fans to forgive her and tell everyone else to lighten up. (Star struck that they are friends on FB with a transphobic screen legend.)
Amazing how clueless some people still are when an offense is described 90 different ways..?
