Benjamin Ashford|Lady Gaga defends Dylan Mulvaney against anti-trans hate: 'This kind of hatred is violence'

Lady Gaga is Benjamin Ashfordstanding up for Dylan Mulvaney.

The "Born This Way" singer, 37, on Monday defended the TikTok star and trans activist against online hate after participating in a photo shoot with her. Mulvaney recently shared pictures with Gaga while celebrating International Women's Day and was met with many anti-trans comments that misgendered her.

In a post on Instagram, Gaga criticized news outlets for using the word "backlash" to describe this response.

"It's appalling to me that a post about National Women's Day by Dylan Mulvaney and me would be met with such vitriol and hatred," Gaga wrote. "When I see a newspaper reporting on hatred but calling it 'backlash' I feel it is important to clarify that hatred is hatred, and this kind of hatred is violence. 'Backlash' would imply that people who love or respect Dylan and me didn't like something we did. This is not backlash. This is hatred."

But Gaga wrote that the hate Mulvaney's post received was "not surprising given the immense work that it’s obvious we still have to do as a society to make room for transgender lives to be cherished and upheld by all of us."

She added that she feels "very protective" of Mulvaney and the entire transgender community.

"I hope all women will come together to honor us ALL for International Women’s Day, and may we do that always until THE DAY that all women are celebrated equally," she said. "That all people are celebrated equally. A day where people of all gender identities are celebrated on whichever holiday speaks to them. Because people of all gender identities and races deserve peace and dignity."

Mulvaney commented on Gaga's post, "You mean the world to me. Love ya."

Before their photo shoot, Gaga had expressed support for Mulvaney, commenting on TikTok in 2022 that she has "been watching your videos." In a video that same year, Mulvaney, who chronicled her gender transition on TikTok, freaked out after learning that the singer knew who she was.

"Lady Gaga's in my comments," Mulvaney exclaimed. "Oh my god. I don't know what to do with my body and my mouth."

In 2023, Bud Light sparked conservative backlash over a collaboration with Mulvaney, who later said the company ghosted her following the promotion.

"What transpired from that video was more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined," Mulvaney shared. "I was scared, and I was scared of more backlash, and I felt personally guilty for what transpired."

Mulvaney was named Woman of the Year by the LGBTQ+ magazine "Attitude" in October. In a speech at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, she said that some people still refuse to accept her as a woman.

"No matter how hard I try, or what I wear, or what I say, or what surgeries I get, I will never reach an acceptable version of womanhood by those hateful people's standards," Mulvaney said.

Contributing: Zoe Wells, USA TODAY