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Gina Carano Called Out for Transphobic Twitter Presence

The Mandalorian actress doubles down on her bad pronoun joke.

By Sep 13th, 2020, 1:04 pm
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The Mandalorian star Gina Carano has come under fire for mocking the usage of pronouns in her Twitter bio. The former MMA fighter added “boop/bop/beep” to her name in a poorly conceived joke on people sharing their preferred pronouns. And when called out for it, Carano claimed she supported trans people, but refused to change her bio.

Carano is not alone in questioning why people are including their pronouns in their bios, their email signatures, and their introductions. We do so because when cis people share their pronouns, it hopefully makes it easier for trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming folks to do the same. In GLAAD’s “Tips for Allies” guide, they encourage folks to share their pronouns because “This sends the message that you are not making assumptions about anyone’s gender, and that people are free to self-identify.”

MyPronouns.org articulates exactly why sharing pronouns is good allyship:

“Sharing your own pronouns is a great idea, but it isn’t requisite. Keep in mind, however, that there is a privilege of appearing in a way that fits both your gender and the pronouns that many people associate with your gender. In other words, if people’s assumptions are correct, never having to name those assumptions begins to normalize the very process of making assumptions (which for others may be incorrect). Thus, sharing pronouns is a great way to disrupt the normalization and privilege of assumption.”

Is Gina Carano, or anyone, required to share their pronouns? Of course not. And if she posted the joke out of ignorance, out of not understanding why pronouns matter, that would be one thing. But Carano admitted that her co-star Pedro Pascal had explained why pronouns matter. Carano wrote, “I didn’t know before, but I do now. I won’t be putting them in my bio but good for all you who choose to. I stand against bullying, especially the most vulnerable & freedom to choose.”

Look, we’ve all said and/or done offensive things. We’ve all had moments of ignorance, cruelty, and lapses in compassion. But hopefully we learn from them and we grow and we do better. But while she claimed to understand the meaning of pronoun usage, she refused to change her message. While she doesn’t have to post her pronouns, she also doesn’t have to mock others who are. That’s when ignorance turns into transphobia and cruelty.

But Carano is no stranger to internet controversy. She was recently criticized for posting anti-Black Lives Matter messages, objecting to face masks, and dismissing concerns about the coronavirus:

Many took to social media to call out Carano for her transphobic profile:

What’s all the more frustrating is that Carano is playing the victim here. Girl, you started it by doubling down on mocking trans people! You’re well within your rights to post offensive and ignorant stuff, but you can’t act shocked when people call you out for it.

This just … sucks. I liked Gina Carano. I really liked Cara Dune, and was excited to see her have more of a presence in season 2 of The Mandalorian. Thanks to the smash hit series, Carano now has an ever-growing platform and a fan base for which she could model compassionate behavior. She could set a positive example, but she chooses not to.

Oh well, at least baby Yoda remains an unproblematic king.

(image: screencap/Twitter)

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Author
Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.
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