Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the Nigerian novelist behind Americanah, did not apologize, which only fueled the debate further.
It all began in an interview with Channel 4 News, published on March 10, 2017. Speaking about feminism, she suggested that the experience of trans women is not the same as that of women who were born women. The criticism came almost immediately on Twitter. She posted a clarification on Facebook, without apologizing, and days later reaffirmed her position. “Of course they are women, but when talking about feminism and gender, it is important to recognize the differences in experience”, she said. “I did not apologize because I don’t believe I have anything to apologize for.”
For some people, adding nuance is not exclusion, and language cannot become a trench. For others, words carry weight, and debating who is a woman hurts those who already face rejection. Adichie even spoke of a “language orthodoxy” on the American left.
Is adding nuance to an opinion a matter of honesty, or does it shut the door on other identities?