“You can’t be a full tranny every day of the week,” Katy Perry says in this week’s Rolling Stone. “That’s an exaggerated part of my personality.”
Perry’s quote appears in the print version of the magazine (pg. 74), but has been scrubbed from contributing editor Erik Hedegaard’s on-line version. Perhaps someone at Rolling Stone, the once legendary magazine now known for its “hot” profiles of, um, Paul Simon, had sense enough to realize Perry’s comment shouldn’t go beyond print (which nobody buys they give away on Virgin Atlantic).
Billed as “backstage kick-off to her California Dreams tour,” the profile’s packed with quotes like, “When I was a kid, I asked questions about my faith. Now I’m asking questions about the world.” She continues, “our priority is fame… I saw this knowing full well that I’m a part of the problem.”
No kidding, Katy! While you were moaning about your part-time “tranny’ness” – besides being a transparent bid for hipster’ness (fail) – and flaunting your heteronormative privileges, did you ever pause to think (burp) that some people actual live as trans… full-time? Or, that it’s not a costume to take off when their feet hurt?
“Just because she dresses up for her shows or peformance that doesn’t mean she’s a trans person,” says Bamby Salcedo, the Los Angeles based trans activist who is the project coordinator for the Transgender Harm Reduction Project with Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “She hasn’t been harassed in any way. You can’t really say you can relate to a community when you’re not part of it.”
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Teresa
It’s awful that Katy Perry feels entitled to throw around words that have nothing to do with her identity and it’s harmful to trans folks that cisgendered people use and abuse trans realities for their own cool factor. But, I wish Queerty could have addressed this without invoking a misogynist term for women. No woman, cis or trans, should be called a bimbo.
Tyler
She’s an absolute joke. From “I Kissed A Girl” to “Ur So Gay” – she’s done nothing but use the gay community in a negative/misogynistic light. Shame on her – I wish her nothing but a short-lived music career.
IzzyLuna
HELLO, people. She has a song called “You’re So Gay” with the lyric “you’re so gay and you don’t even like boys.” The song is pretty much talking negative about a guy. And you’re shocked about THIS?
I’ve been on the “i’m not crazy about Katy” train since that first album.
Michael
Damnit this girls annoying at times.I think shes with us and cares after the tweet she made about New York being the best city in the world relating to gay marriage being legalized there.But after this damn I dont know anymore. I never liked her Ur So Gay thing or that video where she sung it to a guy she felt ignored by that made me mad at her.Ugh its so confusing cant tell whether to believe shes a supporter or just another fake wolf in sheeps clothing person.
James
*Yawn* Another Hetero female pop singer who like Madonna and Lady Caca are using the GLBT Community to sell their music and have us buy their music because they want to pretend they’re for GLBT rights when they’re not at all.
Alexa
Vomit. Isn’t her fifteen minutes up yet?
Red Meat
I hate this stupid big tit bitch.
christopher di spirito
What floors me is how Katy Perry could’ve married that hideous limey Brit, Russell Brand?
Brand looks like no amount of soap and bleach could clean his sallow skin. And don’t even get me started on his teeth. He has classic British teeth that resemble kernels of corn.
Dieks
But Gaga is the problem?
rl
yes and yes
next
alexspade
I’m sick of zillion of untalented so-called stars on the modern scene like this fake bitch who sing their poor dull songs and say their stupid speeches.
velocifero
She is what the straight black hip hop record industry executives have put up to counter Gaga, Florence and other homo friendly women. They know Perry sells in Walmarts and the deep South. Her songs suck, and her marriage is a PR scam. She will be in two years in the bargain bin with Tia Tequila, Snooki or in ten years on the next installment of Real House Wives of OC. I guess everyone remembers her calling one of her ex boyfriends a fag at a staged high school reunion? Remember when someone shows you who they are believe them. This is one white privileged spoiled girl who could not care less about the world. And people will defend her while saying Gaga, Britney or Madonna or even Beyonce cater ton the LGBT community.
jason
Rolling Stone magazine is a pile of vomit run by a homophobic editorial board.
Jeff
I like Katy Perry songs…when someone who can actually sing is singing them.
Tristane
She throws “trans” and “tranny” around like it’s interchangeable with “drag”, but she’s obviously too ignorant to know the difference. UGH.
sam
So its wrong to use transphobic slurs, but its okay to use misogynistic ones? Gotcha.
mattsy
Shes totally gay friendly-just watch some of her videos. And using “tranny” isnt homophobic or bad-u fags need to relax!
Red Meat
@mattsy: go suck on her titties some moar.
mattsy
@Dead Meat
I would love to! Y don’t u learn to SPELL while Im nibblin on her tranny titties
BrianZ
Oh, so we’ve given up the term transvestite all together then?
And as for the quote “She hasn’t been harassed in any way. You can’t really say you can relate to a community when you’re not part of it.”
Bullshit. We can all relate to being discriminated against, bullied, harassed, etc. And Bamby (seriously?) can make the assertion that Katy has never been harassed? No of course not: Women are never harassed. Idiot.
Some people sure do come off as having a great NEED to be separate and special. It’s growing a little tiresome.
jason
Katy Perry is more gay-friendly than other singers like Beyonce, Rihanna etc. Keep in mind that Katy allowed a guy-guy kiss to be included in her video for Firework. Name me any other commercially popular music artist who has done this. Lady Gaga, perhaps, but certainly not Britney or Rihanna or Beyonce.
While it’s true that Katy is part of an industry that discriminates heavily against the concept of male-male sexuality in marketing, she is still better than many other divas.
Brunilda
@BrianZ: Not to get into semantics or anything, but I think there is a difference between totally relating and empathizing.
Empathizing with someone’s struggles doesn’t give you the right to use their identity for your own means.
If Katy Perry really wanted to be an ally of the trans community, she wouldn’t go around telling rolling stone that she’s a part time tranny and that it’s an exaggerated part of her personality. With comments like that, I doubt she can even empathize with their struggle. It’s obvious that this is just another way to make people notice her.
Also, replace the word “tranny” with “Black” and what do you get… – “You can’t be a full black everyday of the week. That’s just an exaggerated part of my personality” That’s right. Katy Perry’s gay minstrel show…I also agree that she needs to stop this or let go of her 15 minutes of fame.
C.V.X
@jason:
You obviously haven’t seen Rihanna’s video for Te Amo.
I guess I can’t blame you, really – presuming you live in the states, it was blocked here for “sexual content” (please). I can promise you it’s much better than just a same-sex kiss though.
I’d take Rihanna any day over some brunette Barbie in clown makeup who uses the LGBT community for her own profit/attention.
sfdiub
bad singer, bad songwriter, fake bitch i dont see her appeal
McGullen
While I like the Hershey’s top she’s wearing on the magazine cover, that’s the only good thing I can think to say about her after reading this article.
Graveetas
You missed the whole point of this article and got caught up in the sensationalism. This is Rolling Stone. Like Playboy, this magazine is treading water financially on controversial covers or a sensational story. Since when did you think the magazine does features artist for the GOOD of the GLBTI? Rolling Stone & Katy Perry do it all for the $$$$$
Karen S
Apparently, she can be a dolt full time, however…