DJ and music producer The Blessed Madonna has ripped into Irish musician Róisín Murphy for a post about the purported decline in young people identifying as transgender.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter on Tuesday (21 October), disco singer and former Moloko member Róisín Murphy shared a graph indicating that the number of 18 to 22-year-olds identifying as transgender or non-binary dropped steeply between 2022 and 2024.

“It was never real,” she wrote alongside the chart. “Terribly sad though. Absolute havoc wreaked on children, families and society.”

The dataset behind the graph comes from Tufts University’s Cooperative Election Study, which asked adults aged 18 to 22 in the US about whether they identify as trans or non-binary. The survey first asked the respondents in 2021, then 2022, and then 2024, with the graph purporting to show an almost 50 per cent drop in the number of people identifying as trans between 2022 and 2024.

Yet Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University who analysed the data, appeared to play down the suggestion that the data indicates that trans folk are a ‘trend’ in decline.

“One possibility is changes in acceptance; as acceptance increased, more young adults identified as transgender and/or were willing to identify as transgender in a survey,” Twenge told Fox News.

“When acceptance declined, identifying as transgender (or at least identifying as transgender on a survey) declined.”

A social media user put this point to Róisín Murphy, writing: “People are less likely to be openly trans at times when hate speech at trans people is encouraged by people in power, what is your f**king point?”

In response, she wrote: “I think you mean when dissenting voices are heard.”

Róisín Murphy singing into a microphone while on stage at a concert.Róisín Murphy was hit with backlash over her puberty blocker comments. (Getty)

In a blistering video published on Instagram hours after Murphy’s post, American musician The Blessed Madonna, whose real name is Marea Renee Stamper, blasted Murphy for lacking the “educational skills” to understand why fewer young people might be identifying as trans. She also tagged Murphy’s official account in the post.

Stamper began her video by revealing that she had “graciously” written to Murphy and removed the fellow musician from her birthday event line up, after Murphy first criticised puberty blockers and referred to trans children as “little mixed up kids” in 2023.

Murphy, who was previously widely celebrated as a queer icon, was condemned by the LGBTQ+ community for her remarks at the time. She has since doubled down on her stance on trans youth.

“Go f**k yourself Róisín”

Stamper, who identifies as non-binary, said they had hoped Murphy would “take some time to learn and listen” to trans people, but “clearly that did not stick”.

“I’m through making nice,” they continued, before reading out a lengthy message they sent to Murphy after her most recent post.

“Baby, I saw that post today. I just have to say, however long it takes, go f**k yourself Róisín. You had me fooled once, you really did. And many people. But you were never a queer icon. You’re another dusty TERF that knows how to count queer money and serve a look,” Stamper said.

“I extended kindness like many people did… it was dumb what you said, people learn though. I have grace for it,” they continued, referring to Murphy’s 2023 comments.

“I quietly and compassionately removed you from my birthday event and said nothing except for writing kindly to you directly. You did not even summon the grace to respond. Fine. This is not that day. It is a year later, and after seeing that insane transphobic nonsense you had the indignity to put on Beyoncé internet, in front of God and everybody, gather yourself all the way up.”

“You thought you did your big thing and honey, this is not it. I don’t understand this trans panic thing that just takes over women over 50 who ought to just live their lives and let queer people and trans kids live their lives, but clearly whatever this disease is, it has metastasised into stage four Joanne-itus,” she continued, seemingly referring to author JK Rowling and her ongoing gender-critical comments about the trans community.

“Your little post, that’s a hot take for you. It is life and death for trans people”

Stamper went on to share the story of her grandmother, who remained a closeted lesbian for her entire life out of fear of conversion therapy and abuse. They suggested that similarly, fewer trans people might be coming out for fear of the increasingly transphobic climate in the US and elsewhere.

“What the f**k do you think trans people are choosing today? The people who come out are the bravest people on this planet and this is as close to safe as they have ever felt. You are a tragedy,” she said.

The Blessed Madonna at the 2023 BRIT Awards.The Blessed Madonna at the 2023 BRIT Awards. (Getty)

“You go sing your little song to whatever Mumsnet kitchen disco knucklehead you can gather up. As someone who has literally had to smuggle hormones into other countries for trans people that you were on a line up with, I feel comfortable saying you cannot sit with us,” she continued.

“Your little post, that’s a hot take for you. It is life and death for trans people.

“Maybe people don’t talk to you like this anymore, but I don’t give a s**t who you think you are. Get your s**t together and while you’re at it, you take that f**king graph and shove it up your ass. Keep trans people out of your motherf**king mouth and watch a real mother love them the way they deserve to be loved. Shame on you, Róisín.”

In the comment section of their video, The Blessed Madonna offered her home for any trans children in need.

“And if any of you sweet trans babies need a thing, I am here,” they wrote. “You will never want for a roof over your head or a dog to pet as long as I am on this earth and if my house turn into a slumber party to 72 trans people then I won the life lottery.”

Other performers including Drag Race stars Crystal and Sister Sister and musician Sega Bodega also condemned Murphy for her most recent remarks.

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