Patti LuPone Stands Up For Trans Youth On ‘The View’
Patti LuPone is not mincing her words when it comes to advocating up for the LGBTQ community and tearing down the Religious Right.
Beloved performer of stage and screen Patti LuPone has stood up for trans people and expressed her outrage towards the current efforts of right-wing factions in the United States to marginalize the LGBTQ community.
And, in typical fashion for the superstar, she is not mincing her words.
During a recent appearance on The View, the star of shows like Company and Evita stated her belief that the country was moving in a perilous direction when it came to anti-LGBTQ sentiment.
LuPone was asked to comment on Florida governor Ron DeSantis and his crackdown against the LGBTQ community.
She expressed her extreme distress at the situation and even appeared emotional while speaking. “These are human beings,” she said. “I could cry. They’re not harming anybody.”
She compared the Christian right wing in the United States to Afghanistan’s extremist Islamic ruling group, the Taliban. “I’ve said this before, and I’m going to get in trouble – I don’t know what the difference is between our Christian Right and the Taliban,” she said.
LuPone believes that the current state of the U.S. regarding religious extremism is alarming. “What’s happening in this country right now in the name of religion is so dangerous. It’s not the country. It’s not America. When we were growing up, it was a democracy. Now it’s in such danger. It’s so upsetting.”
The Broadway actress’ comments are timely, as DeSantis has been on an anti-LGBTQ tear recently, and Florida is just one of many states that is pushing legislation that will hurt members of the trans community in particular.
Last year, he introduced the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which prohibits discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms for children up to 14 years old. The bill has recently been expanded to include all grade levels.
He also stands behind a bill currently progressing that would prevent teachers from using trans students’ preferred names and pronouns.
As if that wasn’t enough to prove his bigotry, DeSantis is also working hard to ensure a bill referred to as SB 254 goes through. The potential law would enable courts and relatives to gain custody of a young trans person if they believe their families are helping them to access gender-affirming healthcare.
This not only undermines the autonomy and agency of trans youth, but it also puts them at risk of being forcibly removed from their homes and placed into potentially harmful environments.
LuPone was on the daytime program to promote her new movie Beau is Afraid, in which she co-stars with Joaquin Phoenix and Nathan Lane.
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