The country music world has been buzzing about a feud between Maren Morris and Brittany Aldean, the wife of fellow country singer Jason Aldean. Morris took issue with Brittany for a transphobic Instagram post that read, “I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase.”

Morris quickly hit back at the statement calling her a “scumbag human” and “insurrection barbie” to boot. It’s good to hear a country star not putting up with transphobia amongst her peers, and Morris may even be skipping out on a big awards ceremony over the situation.

Likening a trans child’s decision to get gender-affirming care to just going through a “tomboy phase” may not seem as insidious as other instances of transphobia, but these comments continued will further ostracize and alienate trans people in their communities and families.

Morris told The Los Angeles Times that, despite being honored for being nominated for Album of the Year, “as of right now, I don’t feel comfortable going.”

She said it was “exhausting” speaking out against the situation and becoming the topic of some online vitriol through a Tucker Carlson mention, but “there’s a very insidious culture of people feeling very transphobic and homophobic and racist, and they can wrap it up in a joke and no one will ever call them out for it.”

The singer also spoke about the combined backlash and support she received when coming out against transphobia in a hard stance.

When being interviewed for the I’m Listening podcast she spoke about how in the social media age, “people can cowardly hide behind their phone screens” while bullying their targets.

“It’s not whether you’re bullied as a public figure or a kid, you’re just always gonna face some sort of adversity ro someone that’s trying to puncture your balloon of happiness,” Morris also observed.

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Jacob Linden

Article by Jacob Linden

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