Lady Gaga defends Dylan Mulvaney after 'backlash' to International Women's Day photo: 'This is hatred'

Singer Lady Gaga said Monday she found the response to an image of her with Dylan Mulvaney "appalling."

On Friday, Mulvaney, a transgender woman, posted an Instagram photo with Gaga to celebrate International Women’s Day, which quickly faced blowback for a biological male claiming to honor women.

Gaga remarked on the issue Monday, specifically calling out the media’s framing with the use of the word "backlash."

"It’s appalling to me that a post about National Women’s Day by Dylan Mulvaney and me would be met with such vitriol and hatred. When I see a newspaper reporting on hatred but calling it ‘backlash’ I feel it is important to clarify that hatred is hatred, and this kind of hatred is violence. ‘Backlash’ would imply that people who love or respect Dylan and me didn’t like something we did. This is not backlash. This is hatred," Gaga wrote on Instagram.

Dylan Mulvaney posted a photo with Lady Gaga to celebrate International Women's Day. (Photo by Michael Ostuni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images/Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

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She added, "But it is not surprising given the immense work that it’s obvious we still have to do as a society to make room for transgender lives to be cherished and upheld by all of us. I feel very protective in this moment, not only of Dylan, but of the trans community who continues to lead the way with their endless grace and inspiration in the face of constant degradation, intolerance, and physical, verbal, and mental violence."

Gaga also called on people to "be loving, accepting, warm, welcoming" and to "stand and honor the complexity and challenge of trans life."

Lady Gaga attacked the media's use of the word "backlash" to describe what she called the "hatred" in comments. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

"I certainly do not speak for this community, but I have something to say. I hope all women will come together to honor us ALL for International Women’s Day, and may we do that always until THE DAY that all women are celebrated equally. That all people are celebrated equally. A day where people of all gender identities are celebrated on whichever holiday speaks to them. Because people of all gender identities and races deserve peace and dignity," she wrote.

Gaga closed, "May we all come together and be loving, accepting, warm, welcoming. May we all stand and honor the complexity and challenge of trans life—that we do not know, but can seek to understand and have compassion for. I love people too much to allow hatred to be referred to as ‘backlash.’ People deserve better."

Fox News Digital reached out to reps for Gaga and Mulvaney for a comment but has yet to receive a response.

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Bud Light sales plummeted after a promotional partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney caused widespread backlash. (Instagram)

Mulvaney is no stranger to controversy. In 2023, the transgender influencer was at the center of a massive controversy after Bud Light created a can with Mulvaney’s face to celebrate the "365 days of being a girl" series. 

Though Bud Light explained that the can was not intended to be sold, the brand faced continuous backlash with parent company Anheuser-Busch’s U.S. revenue dropping by 17.3% in fourth quarter 2023. The company stated that the decline was primarily due to Bud Light.

Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @lmkornick.