The Statue of Liberty is “a Dude” Now? Really?

The stupidity of American transphobes knows no bounds. Talk show host Joe Rogan and his guest Sam Tripoli now argue that the Statue of Liberty is an image of the ancient god Mithras, basically turning the statue into a drag queen with fake breasts.

Back in the real world the statue was made by the French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. He was inspired by the Roman goddess of liberty, Libertas.

According to some, the face was modeled after that of Augusta Charlotte Beysser Bartholdi, the sculptor’s mother, although others deny this.

What we do know is that he gave Liberty an austere face and a strong, uncomplicated silhouette, so that it would be easy to see for passengers coming in from the sea side.

So why would it make sense for right wing extremists to associate the Statue of Liberty with Mithras?

Xenophobia, transphobia and misogyny combined

There are probably several reasons here.

One is that presenting the statue as a heathen god, will trigger fear in religious fanatics. After all, there have been those who have found the reference to Libertas disturbing, even though Christian artists have used ancient gods and goddesses as allegories of Christian virtues since ancient times.

Another is that presenting the statue as someone they see as a transgender woman, will link the statue to the rampant transphobia we find in these circles.

If a strong independent woman can be presented as a man, you weaken the idea that women can be free and powerful.

Moreover, given that this crowd normally make active use of historical symbols to affirm white supremacy, it does make sense to ridicule this statue, as it was built to welcome immigrants.

There is a 1903 bronze plaque located in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, which says:

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door! “

The poem, “The New Colossus”, is a sonnet by American poet Emma Lazarus (1849–1887). She wrote the poem in 1883 to raise money for the construction of a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. Hers are not sentiments shared by the fascist MAGA movement.

See also: Joe Rogan is now ‘transvestigating’ the Statue of Liberty, because of course he is

Originally published at https://trans-express.lgbt on November 12, 2024.