Boy George clashes with Róisín Murphy over trans rights - "she is a trans-obsessed woman"
– 2 min read
Two years after pledging to “completely bow out” of public conversations around trans issues, Irish singer Róisín Murphy has reignited controversy with fresh remarks - and this time, she’s dragged LGBTQ+ icon Boy George into the fray.
Murphy, best known for her work with Moloko, faced backlash in 2023 for criticising the use of puberty blockers, calling them “f***ed” and accusing “Big Pharma” of exploiting “mixed-up kids”. Following intense criticism, particularly from her LGBTQ+ fanbase, she issued an apology and vowed to step away from the topic. That promise, however, appears to have been short-lived.
On 21 October 2025, Murphy posted a chart on X (formerly Twitter) suggesting a decline in young people identifying as trans or non-binary, captioning it: “It was never real. Terribly sad though. Absolute havoc wreaked on children, families and society.” The post, which cited disputed statistics from Tufts University, was widely condemned as transphobic.
The headline should read 'The Most Engaging Person Online'. If someone attacks me, out of nowhere because of some drunken flippant comment in Miami a hundred years ago. How am I supposed to respond? It's obvious @roisinmurphy is a 'trans' obsessed women who thinks because I won't…
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) October 16, 2025
The timing of her remarks coincided with a fiery online exchange with Culture Club frontman Boy George. George, a vocal supporter of trans rights, had posted a rant aimed at critics of his stance, calling them “ugly people with ugly souls” and “twats” who hide behind anonymous profiles.
Murphy responded with a scathing post, accusing George of humiliating her during their first meeting in Miami years ago. “You’re just beyond horrible, George,” she wrote. “All that nasty, nasty bitchiness is coming back to you. I remember the first thing you said to me was, ‘Oh, you’re not as pretty as I thought you were.’ I was young, and you made me feel ashamed in front of a lot of people. Why? You have grifted all these years with such little talent and zero charm. Now, time’s up.”
George, never one to shy away from a spat, replied dismissively: “I couldn’t get through all the replies but I saw the post from Róisín Murphy, whom I don’t remember meeting ever? Totally bonkers post from a woman who desperately wants to be a drag queen.”
