Model, entrepreneur, and media personality Hailey Bieber recently found herself thrust into a familiar online trope: trolls suggesting she “looks trans,” a supposed insult cloaked in ignorance. But instead of shrugging it off, she used the moment to call out the underlying transphobia and affirm some important truths.
During an appearance on the podcast In Your Dreams with Owen Thiele, Bieber addressed comments like “She looks trans” and challenged them head-on. “Why do you think that’s a diss?” she asked. “As if being trans is a diss?” She went on to say, “Some of the most beautiful women, and men, in the world are trans. I don’t take that offensively at all.”
What might have been a moment to simply ignore the trash talk instead turned into a teaching opportunity for anyone committed to transgender empowerment and self-love.
Why This Matters
What Bieber pointed out is more than lip service. The idea that being trans is somehow lesser or shameful is rooted in societal bias, not truth. For many transgender individuals, comments like the ones Bieber responded to echo daily microaggressions, the implicit message that “trans” is bad, unworthy, or mockable.
By flipping the script and noting that trans people are among “the most beautiful,” she gave visibility and validation to a community that society too often treats as invisible or other.
In a world where visibility matters, such affirmations from public figures can help shift culture. It might seem small, a podcast clip here, a headline there, but it contributes to the broader narrative: trans lives are not punchlines. They are worthy, dignified, and part of our shared humanity.
Context of Allyship
Bieber’s remarks also fit within a broader pattern of her public advocacy. In 2023 she signed a public letter organized by GLAAD calling on major platforms such as Meta, TikTok, and YouTube to address hate, harassment, and disinformation targeting LGBTQ+ users. While allyship is not a substitute for lived experience, her actions show a willingness to use her privilege and platform for good.
For Transgender Individuals Reading This
There are two takeaways from this moment. First, your existence, beauty, and humanity are not optional. Comments that try to reduce you to a punchline are rooted in fear or ignorance, not in your worth. Second, when people who are not trans speak out publicly, it creates space for deeper change. While cis allies can never replace trans voices, visible support from public figures helps shift the culture that shapes how trans people live, breathe, and love.
The Bottom Line
What started as a hurtful or ignorant comment became a moment of education and empowerment. Bieber did not just clap back. She held up a mirror to the culture of transphobia and said being trans is not a diss. It is a truth worth celebrating.
Her words remind us that respect is not about who you are compared to, but about recognizing that every person, cis, trans, or otherwise, deserves to be seen as human.
