
Betty Who has issued an apology after being accused of making “lesbophobic” comments.
Earlier this month, the ‘Taste’ singer appeared on the Made It Out podcast, where she discussed being bisexual and queer while married to a straight cisgender man, gender expression and her Australian upbringing.
Who also touched on the discourse surrounding queer singers JoJo Siwa and Fletcher – who recently faced backlash for their new relationships with men – and how sexuality can evolve.
“I think it’s hard when you become representative of something to other people, and then you change, or you are just following your heart, and that means that other people feel like they are not represented anymore. Like the pressure of that is so immense,” she explained.
Who went on to share her own experience navigating her sexuality, stating that she used to think she was going to “grow up to be gay” but instead became “obsessed with a boy.”
“It doesn’t mean that I am not queer and that I don’t represent or like love the queer community and exist in the queer community,” she continued.
“I think a huge theme of this entire conversation for both of us has been to allow ourselves to make the choices that feel right in the moment that they feel right.
“Because a huge part of queerness is like identifying yourself and putting yourself under [the] alphanet mafia. It’s like, which one are you, and if you change that, I will never forget it.”
Who then used Reneé Rapp – who identifies as a lesbian – in a hypothetical situation of someone who could potentially be in a similar situation as herself, Siwa and Fletcher.
“Like, it’s funny that Reneé Rap is like, ‘You’ll never catch me dating a man.’ It’s like, ‘Go off, queen.‘ Like I love that for you,“ she said.
“But I also hold space for her in like 10 years if she goes, “Oops, I met the love of my life, and it’s a man. I didn’t mean to.‘ Like that’s okay. It shouldn’t be illegal for you to fall in love.“
Over the last week, Who has received significant pushback for her comments, with many accusing her of being lesbophobic and dismissive of the lesbian experience.
One person on X/Twitter wrote: “Love Betty, but saying that lesbianism can be fluid is a crazy take and so invalidating because lesbians don’t like men. Saying that maybe you just haven’t found the right man yet is INSANE.“
Another user tweeted: “Kinda sad that Betty Who sang on Troye’s song HEAVEN that’s about accepting being gay and then almost 10 years later she’s saying some stupid shit about “holding space“ for if a lesbian “finds a man.”
Pop singer King Princess also shared her opinion in a TikTok video, stating: “Date a man, it’s not a big deal. But why are you on a podcast talking about it? It’s not an interesting narrative.
@kingprincess♬ Girls – King Princess
“We live in a country where our rights are being stripped from us every day, and you think it’s important to get on a podcast and talk about how hard it is to be in a heteronormative relationship? Diva!”
On 27 August, Who took to her Instagram story to address the backlash and apologise for her remarks.
“In recent days, I’ve taken time to sit with the conversation around my gender and sexuality. I recognise that the language I used poorly articulated my experience and unintentionally reinforced ideas that were harmful or dismissive, particularly toward the lesbian community. That was never my intention, and I’m truly sorry,” she wrote.
“Everyone’s journey is deeply personal, and I shouldn’t have spoken in ways that generalised or spoke for others. I went into the interview to discuss my own journey – specifically, how I figured out how to identify myself and how I ultimately landed on non-binary and bisexual, both assignments that live somewhere in-between.”
Toward the end of her statement, Who recognised that she was coming from a place of privilege, adding that she “never meant to contribute to prejudice against the community” and will do better.
You can read her complete statement below.