Ruby Rose quits Twitter after backlash over her casting as Batwoman: ‘If you need me, I’ll be on my bat phone’

Some Twitter users aren't happy about Rose's casting as the Jewish lesbian superhero 
Backlash: Ruby Rose has deleted her Twitter account
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
Jennifer Ruby13 August 2018
The Weekender

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Actress Ruby Rose has reportedly deleted her Twitter account amid a backlash over her casting as Batwoman.

The Australian star no longer has an active account on the social media platform after she was met with a barrage of abuse, telling her followers that she was taking a “break” to focus on her work.

Rose confirmed her casting as Jewish lesbian superhero Kat Kane in the forthcoming CW show, with some people taking to Twitter to criticise the fact that she isn’t Jewish and has identified as ‘gender fluid’ in the past.

Before deactivating her account, Rose wrote: “Where on earth did ‘Ruby is not a lesbian therefore she can’t be batwoman’ come from — has to be the funniest most ridiculous thing I’ve ever read.

“I came out at 12? And have for the past 5 years had to deal with ‘she’s too gay’ how do y’all flip it like that? I didn’t change. I wish we would all support each other and our journeys.”

The Orange is the New Black star continued: “When women and when minorities join forces we are unstoppable… when we tear each other down it’s much more hurtful than from any group.

“But hey/ love a challenge I just wish women and the LGBT community supported each other more, My wish was we were all a little kinder and more supportive of each other…Sending everyone my love and gratitude, it’s been a rollercoaster of a year, this month especially.”

She finished by saying: “I am looking forward to getting more than 4 hours of sleep and to break from Twitter to focus all my energy on my next 2 projects. If you need me, I’ll be on my Bat Phone.”

Rose announced the news of her casting last week, saying that she was realising her “childhood dream.”

Rose wrote on Instagram that she was "thrilled and honoured" and "an emotional wreck" over the news, adding that as a young, gay person, she never felt represented on TV.

But some people were quick to criticise Rose, with many asking why a jewish lesban actress couldn’t have been cast in the role.

“There's no reason they can't find a Jewish lesbian to play a Jewish lesbian. I have nothing against Ruby Rose. It's just that it's disrespectful to cast a white woman in a minority role, and a rather loaded minority at that. Representation matters,” one person wrote on Twitter.

“I'm disappointed that Ruby Rose was cast as Batwoman considering it's a complete erasure of Kate Kane's Jewishness. They should have cast a Jewish lesbian to play a Jewish lesbian character,” wrote another.

Others called out the “absurd” backlash, with one person writing: “Ruby Rose isn't lesbian enough to play a gay character?! She needs to be a Jewish lesbian too as her character is Jewish?! Welcome to 2018!!! #whingers.”

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