#CancelJemeleHill trends on Twitter after an old transphobic tweet resurfaces
Jemele Hill is taking heat from Twitter users after she criticized the media outlet Barstool Sports on Monday.
An old racist video emerged on Twitter of Dave Portnoy, Kevin Clancy and Dan “Big Cat” Katz discussing Colin Kaepernick and people of Middle Eastern descent on Sunday.
In the video, Portnoy, president of the controversial sports website, said he mistook then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick for a member of ISIS because he wasn’t kneeling for the national anthem. “Throw a head wrap on this guy and he’s a terrorist,” he said.
Hill quote-tweeted the video with a message for her 1.2 million followers.
Portnoy clapped back at Hill with a tweet of his own.
“Consider the source,” he repeated. Portnoy then quote-tweeted a user called @thesmithuation_ who posted a screenshot of a tweet from Hill in 2009 with the line “Jemele is transphobic.”
“My FB friends are calling him ‘Manny the T****’...so inappropriate and hilarious,” she tweeted 11 years ago, using a term that is a slur against gender-nonconforming people.
In response, Hill then tweeted she wants to prove her support for the transgender community moving forward. .
“Let me address this,” the former Raleigh News & Observer writer tweeted. “I saw some folks circulating this tweet from 2009 in my TL after I criticized Barstool’s Dave Portnoy for a racist skit that went viral yesterday. Let me explain why I kept this tweet up when it was brought to my attention.
“I kept the tweet up because I welcomed the opportunity to apologize and to show growth. See, unlike some people, I’m not defensive about my moments of failure. I learn from them and own it.
“I don’t care about Dave Portony or any of the other Barstool sycophants RT’ing this into my TL, like it’s some gotcha moment. I care about the trans community I belittled and offended. If they don’t see me as an ally because of this, it’s my job to show them that I am.”
Portnoy, too, addressed his comments about Kaepernick in a video posted to Twitter.
“Here’s the thing. I’ve been doing this for 2 decades. I’ve made fun of every group of people, every race, every creed, every culture. You name it, we’ve made jokes about it,” he said. “So if the no fun club, if the cancel culture wants to go back, blog by blog, video by video, day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, decade by decade, and comb through everything I’ve f------ said and done, yeah, you’re gonna find a few jokes that miss the mark.”
Portnoy also added that he won’t “bend the knee” or apologize for the remarks.
Twitter backlash
Shortly after Hill addressed the 2009 video in her apology, the hashtag #CancelJemele started trending on Twitter, with people taking aim at the journalist.
However, many users said they noticed something else about those who are tweeting the hashtag.
Where the transgender community stands
Members of the transgender community said they appreciate Hill’s apology and recognize her as an ally who is continuing to fight for them.
Bailey Grey, a Dallas lawyer and transgender woman, told McClatchy News that she was encouraged by Hill’s apology, but noted that the journalist initially kept the old tweet up after her morning tweets.
“She can apologize and learn and grow and support the trans community without leaving up a tweet that will no doubt cause some people pain if they read it,” Grey said. “I think Jemele is a great person, a brilliant woman, and a good ally.”
Hill did end up deleting the old tweet later in the day.
“I appreciate you, Jemele,” tweeted transgender writer and activist Charlotte Clymer. “And I get that you’re not making this point but I will: I think it’s pretty disgusting that conservatives upset over your commentary on white supremacy are exploiting trans rights to attack you. They don’t care about trans folks. You do. Keep fighting.”
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 3:34 PM with the headline "#CancelJemeleHill trends on Twitter after an old transphobic tweet resurfaces."