Conservatives are currently infighting after a popular right-wing commentator said that a popular transgender women “looked pretty good.”
On Tuesday, nationally syndicated radio host Jesse Kelly tweeted in defense, perhaps sarcastically, of Rose Montoya, the transgender activist who stirred controversy after going topless at a Pride Month celebration held at the White House.
Using a derogatory term to refer to Montoya, Kelly stated that the individual who “flashed everyone at the White House looked pretty good” and that he was “tired of pretending” they didn’t.
The tweet quickly attracted widespread attention from many who expressed outrage at Kelly’s remarks.
One user, for example, blamed Kelly’s alleged attraction to Montoya on feminism.
“Feminist propaganda works,” the user wrote.
Others outraged by Kelly’s statement relied on memes to criticize the conservative pundit.
Yet not all right-wing users appeared to disagree. Many also claimed to hold the same viewpoint as Kelly.
Clay Travis, another popular right-wing radio host, applauded Rose Montoya’s “great boobs” before referring to himself as “a first amendment and boobs guy.”
The backlash to the duo from hard-right conservatives online was swift.
Progressives also weighed in on Kelly’s remarks. One such user noted Kelly’s use of the word “he” before arguing that the conservative would rather say that he is “attracted to a man” instead of admitting that “trans women are women.”
Similarly, memes were also used to criticize some conservatives for opposing the transgender movement while simultaneously consuming transgender pornography.
“Conservative men on their way to go look at t-girl p0rn after a long dat of hating on trans people,” a meme showing marching soldiers read.
While Kelly could merely be trolling, the remark seems to have caused a specific divide among conservatives.
Montoya was ultimately banned from the White House for what one spokesperson described as “inappropriate and disrespectful” behavior “for any event at the White House.”
