Ruby Rose has deleted her Twitter account after receiving backlash over her being cast as Batwoman in an upcoming Arrow-verse crossover.
The special will premiere this December and will possibly be followed by a standalone series currently in development, which would mark the first time an openly gay superhero is going to be featured in their own series. Rose, it's worth noting, identifies as a lesbian, and many have expressed delight over her casting.
Ruby Rose Quits Twitter After 'Batwoman' Backlash
However, not everyone was happy with it. So unhappy are some, in fact, that they have managed to push Rose off Twitter completely. The actress received a barrage of tweets that criticized not just her casting, but her acting skills and sexuality as well.
Rose was emotional when she announced being cast as Batwoman on Instagram. Later, she went on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and nearly cried talking about what the role means for children today, saying that she didn't have superheroes she could identify with as a child.
"I feel like the reason I kept getting so emotional is that growing up, watching TV, I never saw someone on TV that I could identify with, let alone a superhero, you know?" said Rose.
But once the announcement spread through Twitter like wildfire, it unsurprisingly attracted enormous hate, just like everything these days. Some expressed skepticism about the casting. A number of users mentioned that the Batwoman character was reintroduced to DC Comics as being of Jewish descent, which Rose isn't. Shortly thereafter, there was a #RecastBatwoman in full gear.
Some Twitter Users Dared To Ask If Ruby Rose Is Really A Lesbian
To make matters worse, some also questioned whether Rose was an actual lesbian since she has often referred to herself as gender-fluid.
Then, Rose quit Twitter altogether — but not before addressing doubts about her sexual orientation.
"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."
Rose is now the latest victim of unabashed Twitter toxicity, which happens much too often on the platform. It starts this way: a mob of naysayers who disagree with a particular choice goes after and corners the person and browbeats them into being defeated. It always doesn't end well, and Twitter has failed to do anything to curb this behavior on its site.
Questioning an actor's skills or expressing doubt over whether they can give justice to a role is normal, but accusing them of faking their sexuality is too extreme. As Glamour notes, it's an act of cyber-bullying, plain and simple.
