Trans Activists Condemn Aretha Franklin’s ‘Natural Woman’ Song: ‘Perpetuates Harmful Anti-trans Stereotypes’

A transgender “activist” group based in Norway is catching heat after trying to cancel the late-great Aretha Franklin for a song released over 50 years ago.

The folks behind the LGBTQ rights group called the Trans Cultural Mindfulness Alliance took to Twitter to call for the removal of Franklin’s 1968 hit song “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” from both Apple Music and Spotify because they believe the track is harmful to transwomen, New York Post reports. 

In a Twitter post, the group wrote: “Aretha Franklin’s 1968 song ‘Natural Woman’ perpetuates multiple harmful anti-trans stereotypes,” the organization tweeted. “There is no such thing as a ‘natural’ woman.”

The message continued, “The song has helped inspire acts of harm against transgender women. TCMA is requesting it is removed from Spotify & Apple Music.”

When pressed by multiple Twitter users to provide one receipt proving transwomen are being attacked over Franklin’s song, the group quickly backtracked and now claims their original post was “satirical”. 

The group also updated their Twitter bio on Monday to read: “PARODY/SATIRE: Founded January 2023 exclusively by trans individuals, promoting cultural changes to ensure the inclusivity of trans individuals.”

The group reportedly said in a now-deleted post that they are NOT a parody account

Meanwhile, outraged Twitter users are commenting on the original post, with one person writing: “That song was recorded by Aretha Franklin but Gerry Goffin wrote the words and Carole King wrote the music, so it’s their song. It was written long before insanity set in so you should leave the song alone. Why don’t you ask biological women for their opinion?”

In response to the group’s claim that there is no such thing as a “natural woman,” one user tweeted: “There are natural women – female humans who by virtue of surviving a femicidal culture from gestation have lived to adulthood – and men who claim to have special identities, some of whom may take drugs and do surgeries to alter their appearance. No man is a woman. Ever.”

A third commented, “There are billions of Natural women. Your Jealousy of them cannot dispute their existence!”