Orry Goes Viral For His Remarks On 'Gender-Neutral' Bathrooms And Trans Rights, Internet Schools Him

There was a time when people used to listen to the radio or wait for the morning newspaper to catch up on the latest headlines or stay informed about what was happening in the world. That is no longer the case. Today, podcasts are where people share their deepest thoughts and experiences, while social media has become the go-to source for news and updates.

The latest scoop from social media is that Orry has gone viral again on social media, but not for posing with celebrities rather for a one-dimensional and superficial commentary on 'genderless' (gender-neutral) public bathrooms and struggles of the transgender community.

Kavya Karnatac, a social media content creator, invited Orry on her podcast. The conversation started with Orry sharing how he received hate as a boy for dressing with flair, and it ended with him trivialising the struggles of the queer community. He said that instead of fighting for pronouns, the trans folks should fight for their spaces, including a third bathroom in public.

Conversation Between Orry And Kavya Karnatac

Orry said that he was feminine as a boy and received hateful comments. He added that he used to "dress the part" to receive those comments. His argument was that men who "dress like women", or unlike "macho" men, should know that they will receive hate online. From this point, the conversation shifted from discussing boys who enjoy dressing in a feminine manner to commenting on the transgender community.

The social media sensation further added that people cannot pick pronouns as the subject of conversation with him. He also argued, "I feel that instead of fighting for 'everyone should know our pronouns'... fight for your spaces."

"I am not saying don't fight at all. I am not anti-them (trans folks). I am not saying they can't exist. Just fight for your spaces. Don't go in the women's bathroom, take the gender-neutral bathroom. Fight for genderless bathrooms. That's not that hard to fight for (sic)."

He added that the queer community should focus on fighting for a third bathroom in public spaces rather than prioritising pronouns. "If you are a boy and take hormonal blockers, I don't think your body is going to be as delicate as a female's body," he added.

Orry continued arguing about trans women participating in sports - a subject that requires a nuanced conversation with experts but is being looked at from a black and white lens. He kept on saying that the queer community, especially trans folks, should fight for their spaces.

"If you had a daughter, and she went to pee, and there was a man with his din dong peeing next to her, would you be okay with it? It's a yes or no question. Would you be okay with a man, I am not saying trans men or men, would you be okay with any man in the bathroom with your daughter?"

Kavya responded, "No."

"If your little girl in school is playing a sport, would you be okay if a boy is playing that sport with her? You wouldn't, right? Yes or no? I am okay with genderless, only genderless. Don't even have male or female. But at least you know what's happening. Hold your pee and go home. If you agree with me, you are as anti-trans (as me)."

Supporting his argument, he said he was not anti-trans and that he has trans friends who are some of his "coolest friends". Orry added that his friends are aware of his thoughts and know that he is not trying to "get rid of them" or "kill them".

Social Media Reactions

One of the primary issues with podcasts today is that hosts invite people from various fields, and when they comment on subjects outside their areas of expertise, hosts often take the easy way out by saying they do not take ownership of what a person says on camera. However, they forget that they have thousands of followers who can be misled, misinformed, or influenced, which makes them accountable for every piece of content on their platforms.

Taking to Instagram, Trinetra Haldar, an actor, creator, and doctor, requested in her video that podcasters must not invite people who are not subject-matter experts to discuss complex issues on their platforms. Recently, on Soha Ali Khan's podcast, All About Her, she shared her journey as a trans woman.

"No one's asking your daughters to share restrooms with men. The ask is simple - that everyone have access to use a safe restroom. If that means male, female and a third neutral restroom for everyone's safety, so be it. If you haven't done the research before calling on a guest to refute claims, don't edit those clips and put them up for views," the Made In Heaven star wrote. 

Akshay Chandra Madhav said, "Do you see how manipulative his question is? It creates an image of a cisgender male as a predator, places that inside a woman's bathroom, and attaches it to a figure of a daughter, and then asks us to transfer that fear into trans women."

He said that this anti-trans script tied to bathrooms is often seen in the United States. He argued that hate is often attached to the marginalised communities and discrimination is then justified as protection. 

Christianez Ratna Kiruba said that she does not understand the "bathroom debate" that has taken over the Internet. "Cis men are not going to pretend to be trans women to come into our bathrooms." She argued that cis men are not held accountable for harassing and assaulting women and children in homes and public spaces. 

"Secondly, even if cis men will misuse it, should gender diverse individuals suffer instead of them? Why should literally everyone in the world be held accountable except for them?" she asked. 

"Orry didn't use facts, he used fear," said influencer Nikhil Jain. He argued that Orry was selling fear, and people were buying it. Jain further added that the answer to Orry's question should have been single-occupancy gender-neutral bathrooms, where one person uses the facility at a time, similar to those found on planes and trains.

The primary issue with Orry speaking on the subject of gender-neutral bathrooms and the struggles of the transgender community is that he neither belongs to the community nor is a subject-matter expert. While he rightly said that people must pick their battles, they must also choose the topics on which they comment wisely, especially on a public platform where thousands of people may be watching or listening to them.

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