Elon Musk, the eccentric South African billionaire CEO of Tesla, Inc., tweeted that pronouns “suck” in an apparent anti-transgender tweet, and Twitter was not having it.
On Saturday, Musk posted a short tweet: “Pronouns suck.” And his partner, Canadian musician Grimes, wasn’t having it.
Related: Lilly Wachowski tells Ivanka Trump & Elon Musk “F**k both of you” after Matrix “red pill” tweets
Pronouns suck
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2020
The tweet echoes language common on the internet that makes fun of using the correct pronouns to refer to transgender and non-binary people.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Grimes immediately told him to “turn off ur phone or give me a dall [sic],” saying that she knows “hate… isn’t your heart.” Her tweet was later deleted.
Idk why @Grimezsz deleted this but it was probably the correct reply? pic.twitter.com/anaNBrbi6p
— Mr.GG (@MrGreaterGood) July 25, 2020
The rest of Twitter wasn’t as understanding. Out actor Jameela Jamil – best known for her work on NBC’s The Good Place – made fun of Musk for naming his child “X AE A-XII.”
The man who expects the world to learn the name xeae🍆$$24= but can’t handle They/Them. https://t.co/yS18Dmzr8V
— Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) July 25, 2020
Former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s husband Chasten, who’s a teacher, also responded.
I hear your frustration, sweetie. See me after class and we can go over the worksheet again.
— Chasten Buttigieg (@Chasten) July 25, 2020
You use pronouns constantly in English you twerp
You don’t hate pronouns you hate trans people
— Ella (@latentexistence) July 25, 2020
You don’t hate pronouns. You hate having to acknowledge trans rights and existence. Or that people may feel uncomfortable or unsafe or just not like themselves being the gender they were assigned at birth.
— Dulac (@RLeighDulac) July 25, 2020
you/you are so stupid
— Molly Lambert 🦔 (@mollylambert) July 25, 2020
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Grimes’ and Musk’s relationship as a marriage. We regret the error.
