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Róisín Murphy Dropped from Istanbul Festival Over Trans Comments

10/27/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Róisín Murphy was removed from the Back In Town Festival in Istanbul, Turkey, after controversial comments about transgender youth.
On October 21, Murphy posted a graph on X claiming a decline in people identifying as transgender or non-binary.
Festival organizers said they could no longer include Murphy, citing safety and diversity commitments.
Murphy rejected trans activism and described the rise in trans youth as a “social contagion.”

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Story summary

Róisín Murphy was removed from the Back In Town Festival in Istanbul, Turkey, after controversial comments about transgender youth.
On October 21, Murphy posted a graph on X claiming a decline in people identifying as transgender or non-binary.
Festival organizers said they could no longer include Murphy, citing safety and diversity commitments.
Murphy rejected trans activism and described the rise in trans youth as a “social contagion.”