Comedian Eddie Izzard praised as ‘heroic and brave’ for publicly requesting ‘she’ and ‘her’ pronouns
Eddie Izzard attends the “Icons” exhibition press view in conjunction with Art Hound Gallery at Riverside Studios on 24 September, 2020. (Getty/ Nicky J Sims)
Comedian Eddie Izzard has sparked “collective gender euphoria” among her fans after publicly requesting to be referred to with “she” and “her” pronouns.
Izzard appeared on the most recent episode Sky Arts series Portrait Artist of the Year as the artists’ subject, and all contestants referred to her throughout with she/her pronouns.
Although the 58-year-old has referred to herself as transgender since 2016, saying at the time: “I’ve got boy genetics and girl genetics.
“We get obsessed by it in humanity… If you look at a tiger, you go ‘ooh, tiger!’, we don’t go ‘girl tiger’ or ‘boy tiger’.
“We are obsessed by the genders because we grow up in one gender or another. No other animal is obsessed by our gender – they don’t give a monkeys about our gender.”
Despite her openness about her gender identity and expression, this was the first time she has publicly changed her pronouns.
Fans were overjoyed, and took to social media to congratulate her.
Trans writer Shon Faye said: “Good for Eddie Izzard asking for the pronouns she/her to be used so publicly.
“As far as I can gather, she isn’t a trans woman – she’s gender fluid – but prefers the feminine pronoun. Good for her.”
Asking for what you want at any time is bravery. Asking as a gender fluid person is heroic.
— Kate McEvoy (@ImKateMc) December 19, 2020
Another Twitter user responded: “Asking for what you want at any time is bravery. Asking as a gender fluid person is heroic.”
I’ve been reading people’s reactions to Eddie Izzard using she/her pronouns and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this collective gender euphoria we all feel towards her. Either because we feel represented, because we know how freeing it feels saying it out loud or just because we’re nice people.— Sofie Hagen (@SofieHagen) December 20, 2020
Danish comedian Sofie Hagen said: “I’ve been reading people’s reactions to Eddie Izzard using she/her pronouns and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this collective gender euphoria we all feel towards her.
“Either because we feel represented, because we know how freeing it feels saying it out loud or just because we’re nice people.”
It's a brave move in the current climate but I'm sure that's exactly why she did it. If anyone has the intelligence and the strength of will to challenge the increasingly powerful TERF agenda, it's Eddie Izzard.— marc alcock (@CHOPPERalcock) December 20, 2020
Others said that considering the vicious debate over trans lives by prominent celebrities and the media, Izzard’s decision was especially courageous.
One Twitter user wrote: “It’s a brave move in the current climate but I’m sure that’s exactly why she did it.
“If anyone has the intelligence and the strength of will to challenge the increasingly powerful TERF agenda, it’s Eddie Izzard.”
