Aretha Franklin’s Song ‘Natural Woman’ Is Deemed Offensive To LGBTQ Critics
By The Daily Mail
The song A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin is being bashed by LGBTQ critics as ‘offensive,’ with one organization in particular saying the tune helps perpetuate harmful anti-trans stereotypes.
Released as a single by the late Queen of Soul back in 1967, the stirring love ballad is now facing scrutiny – despite preaching positive messages in regards to women and femininity in general.
Leading the charge to have the song nixed is the Norway-based Trans Cultural Mindfulness Alliance (TCMA), a group that started formed earlier this year and has since made its presence known with a series of polarizing posts on social media.
In the time since, statements made by the organization – which seeks to open a chapter ‘in each European country and North America’ – have spawned outrage, including its January 20 request to pull Franklin’s song from streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
The post, perceived by many as a parody, began by asserting the song is offensive to transgender people and that ‘there is no such thing as a “natural” woman.’
‘Aretha Franklin’s 1968 song “Natural Woman” perpetuates multiple harmful anti-trans stereotypes,’ the post reads, erroneously listing the song’s September 1967 release as coming in 1968.
‘There is no such thing as a “natural” woman,’ the organization went on to declare, before claiming the song has already ‘helped inspire acts of harm against transgender women.’
TCMA said it is requesting the song be ‘removed from Spotify & Apple Music.’
The post – the group’s first-ever on social media – would go on to garner national attention, amassing more than 300,000 views in a matter of days.
In terms of likes, however, reception was more lukewarm – with the post as of Monday only boasting just over 100.
