Social media has jumped on Róisín Murphy after she appeared to accuse Madonna of failing to challenge what she described as the "TQ+ bandwagon".
In a post on social media, the singer wrote: "Madonna has no such excuse for supporting the TQ+ bandwagon or for not calling out its inherent homophobia. Perhaps she just doesn’t care that children who would’ve grown up to be gay are being medicalised and harmed before they have the maturity to know who they are. Strange that."
The comments appeared to criticise Madonna's longstanding support for trans and queer communities, with Murphy suggesting the pop superstar should speak out against what she sees as harms associated with gender-affirming care for young people.
Murphy's intervention quickly drew ridicule and criticism online. One social media user responded: "Insignificant pop star desperate to be noticed by Madonna."
Another wrote: "Roisin Murphy is now suggesting @Madonna is homophobic for supporting trans and queer people."
The latest row comes after several years of controversy surrounding Murphy's comments on transgender issues. In 2023, the singer faced backlash after comments from her private Facebook account emerged in which she criticised puberty blockers for trans young people, writing: "Puberty blockers are fucked, absolutely desolate, big Pharma laughing all the way to the bank. Little mixed-up kids are vulnerable and need to be protected, that's just true." She also asked not to be described as a "TERF" (trans-exclusionary radical feminist).
Roisin Murphy is now suggesting @Madonna is homophobic for supporting trans and queer people. Hahahahahahahahahahaha! pic.twitter.com/6w4POHcdVw
— C (@Obseyxx) August 4, 2026
Following criticism from fans and LGBTQ+ groups, Murphy apologised for the hurt caused by her remarks and said she would "completely bow out of this conversation within the public domain". However, critics noted that she did not explicitly retract her views on puberty blockers.
Since then, Murphy has repeatedly returned to the subject. In 2025, she sparked fresh criticism after sharing disputed statistics about the number of young people identifying as trans or non-binary and writing: "It was never real. Terribly sad though. Absolute havoc wreaked on children, families and society." LGBTQ+ campaigners and publications accused her of promoting anti-trans narratives, while Murphy defended what she described as the right for "dissenting voices" to be heard.
Earlier this year, Murphy again addressed the fallout from the controversy, claiming she had faced "professional exile" for expressing her views and criticising what she described as online cancellation campaigns. She also attracted criticism after referring to "confused young people" acting as "social media enforcers".
Madonna has spent decades publicly supporting LGBTQ+ communities and is widely regarded as one of the most prominent allies in popular music. Throughout her career she has spoken out against discrimination and championed LGBTQ+ visibility through her music, activism and live performances.
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