RHOA star NeNe Leakes criticised for anti-trans comments to Ts Madison
Leakes declared: “I don’t want to run into them. I don’t want to date them," speaking of men who have been with trans women
By Gary Grimes
NeNe Leakes, a former star of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, has drawn criticism after she made a number of derogatory remarks about men who date trans women.
In a recent interview with Drag Race judge Ts Madison when the trans TV personality appeared on Leakes’ YouTube series The NeNe Leakes Show, the RHOA personality told Madison she would not date a man who had been with a trans woman and that any man that dated Madison must be gay.
“I don’t date gay men,” Madison explained, before Leakes responded: “You know, when you guys be saying that, that’s weird. Because what do you mean you don’t date gay men? Because if he sleeping with you, and sleeping with a woman, he something.”
“Well, he’s not gay. He’s definitely not gay,” Madison answered, with Leakes then suggesting he could be bisexual.
“If a man comes in here and he looks at me and you, well, he likes women,” Madison continued. “Yeah, because he doesn’t know,” Leakes replied, referencing the fact that Madison is a trans woman.
“And if he does know – he likes women,” Madison retorted. “He could be bi, or he could be pan. A lot of men are paying but they don’t say anything,” she said.
“I don’t want to run into them. I don’t want to date them,” Leakes declared of men who have been with trans women. “The man gonna be sleeping with me and you? I don’t want to talk to him no more. Why the hell you going to sleep with me then going to sleep with you? I don’t want him. I’m over it.”
“Nene, if you’ve dated men, there’s a possibility that… he’s been with a man,” Madison stated. “I know that women consider trans women men because we were born male. But there’s a difference between being men and male.”
In a subsequent post on Instagram, Madison defended herself further, writing: “If you are a female that’s dated multiple men in your life it’s a possibility that one of Those men have experienced something you may deem ‘Gay’.
“2. Trans women are desirable to men Who identify as Straight as well,” the TV personality went on. “3. Men who identify as GAY do not date or desire Trans Women.”
Madison received praised from trans DJ and music producer Honey Dijon, who commented saying: “Thank you for bringing this to the light. For me personally, I will be so happy when men’s desires and male validation are not centered around happiness. We as women have so much more to offer and we are the ones keeping this planet together. All expressions of womanhood.”
“How patient you were and didn’t just flip but explained was so fierce” – Alexis Saint-Pete
Drag Race UK star Alexis Saint-Pete also commented praising Madison and criticising Leakes, writing: “How patient you were and didn’t just flip but explained was so fierce.”
Yvie Oddly, winner of Drag Race season 11, also commented saying: “I love how you coulda come at her sideways for so many things, chose to show grace even when you couldn’t make her see things differently.
“And I love how by the end she ultimately responded with love for you, despite the things she still might not understand,” Oddly went on. “This needs to be studied.”
Leakes’ comments echo that of trans Heartstopper actress Bel Priestley who recently said in an interview that “people still think you’re gay” if you date a trans woman.