Sidibe apologises for “tranny” slur

 AFTER a blunder on American talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, American Horror Story: Coven actress Gabourey Sidibe has made a public apology for repeatedly using the word “tranny” when describing the arrest of trans people in New Orleans out the front of a club she frequented.

The transcript from the segment went as follows:

Gabourey Sidibe: There was a bar that we would frequent and every time we’d go, when we were leaving every single time there was always like a gang of cops arresting trannies.

Audience: [Laughter]

Sidibe: Specifically trannies.

Arsenio Hall: Yeah…

Sidibe: And I don’t know what goes on with trannies but that tranny on tranny crime needs to stop.

Arsenio Hall and audience: [Laughter]

Sidibe [chuckling]: It is tearing our nation apart.

The term “tranny”, once an abbreviation to describe a transgender or transexual person, is now widely considered an offensive slur.

Addressing the televised interview via Twitter, Sidibe has since apologised, claiming that she did not know it was considered a slur.

I’ve apologized several times for using the word “Tranny”. I don’t realize that it was a slur. I’m very sorry for my poor choice of words.

— Gabourey Sidibe (@GabbySidibe) February 1, 2014

I’m also sorry for having made light of a bad situation. It was not my intention. — Gabourey Sidibe (@GabbySidibe) February 1, 2014

 

 

 

h/t: Huffington Post