Hup-two-three-four! Hup-two-three-four!
Miley Cyrus unleashed her millions of fans these past 10 day to do battle against so-called “religious freedom” laws that essentially codified discrimination against LGBT Americans.
With multiple social media launch sites at General Cyrus’ fingertips, the Wrecking Ball singer, declared Armageddon on the “dinosaurs” backing the laws, and pushed all the red buttons. Cyrus sided with the LGBT community, its allies, and big business, including Wal-Mart and Apple, in targeting a new Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Indiana, and a strengthening of an old RFRA in Alabama. RELATED: Boycott Indiana movement over RFRA grows . So @mileycyrus exhorted her social media brigades — 17.2 million strong on Instagram and 19.4 million on Twitter — to lock and load. This past Thursday, the measures in both states were watered down , but remain on the books. Still, the changes were enough to have elected officials, including New York’s Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to travel bans to Indiana.
Statement from @NYGovCuomo regarding Indiana travel ban: https://t.co/WLaOTE4qaD
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 4, 2015
While Cyrus can’t be credited for any particularly decisive blow, the 22-year-old who many kids knew as Disney’s wholesome Hannah Montana, has highlighted what a “furious” former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called a major misstep for the GOP. In an Op-Ed in the Washington Post, The Governator accused fellow Republicans behind the RFRAs of basically neglecting “ the next generation of voters.” He echoed Cyrus’ assertion that the RFRAs alienate the 18 to 29 set.
“All you have to do is look at the response to Indiana’s law on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, or pretty much wherever young people congregate and discuss what is important to them,” he said. Among Cyrus’ first fusillades was a nuking of Republican Gov. Mike Pence, who signed the Hoosier State’s RFRA on March 26.
“You’re an a–hole @govpenceIN,” began one post on Instagram, where she praised @ braisoncwukong for encouraging his more than 270,000 followers to tweet Pence. “Thank you for standing up for what is right!” she said. “We need more strong heterosexual men fighting for equality in both men and women! Why are the macho afraid to love muchoooo?!?” On her account on the photo sharing site, she posted a photo of Pence, and described the law as “unevolved an unjust (sic).”
Many legal experts said Indiana’s law and Alabama’s amendment would give legal cover to businesses that refused service to gays because of their religious beliefs.
Cyrus told her young fans not to believe the politicians who insisted that wasn’t the case, even as conservative forces who lobbied for the measures said it was.
And she turned to the Bible for more ammo.
The Bible says “the way that you judge others will be the way that you will be judged, which I hope is just as harshly and unfair as those a part of Indiana’s LGBT community!” she said. “The fight for freedom isn’t over!” She picked apart Sen.Tom Cotton (R-Ala,) after he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “It’s important that we have a sense of perspective about our priorities.” “In Iran they hang you for the crime of being gay,” said the senator, an Army veteran of the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where he served as a 1st Lieutenant. Cyrus went ballistic on Cotton, who authored a widely rebuked letter signed by 47 Republican senators telling Iran not to negotiate a nuke deal with President Obama.
“Let’s stir some s–t up! Senator Cotton (202) 224-2353 !!!! Happy Hippies call & express why freedom is important to us & our country!” tweeted Cyrus, whose newest studio album, her fourth, is called Bangerz. The Happy Hippies reference is a nod to the Happy Hippy Foundation , a growing youth activist movement focusing on homeless young Americans, 40% of whom some studies suggest are LGBT.
Let’s stir some shit up! Senator Cotton (202) 224-2353 !!!! Happy Hippies call & express why freedom is important to us & our country!
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) April 2, 2015
Schwarzenegger cited social media stats in making his case to the GOP that, “If we want our party to grow and last, we must be focused on real solutions to problems Americans are facing.”
“According to Zignal Labs , as of Wednesday night, #StandWithIndiana had been tweeted 5,571 times. Meanwhile, #BoycottIndiana was tweeted 430,728 times,” he wrote. “Take a quick look at Reddit’s top stories for the week — there have been more than 15,000 comments on this issue, overwhelmingly in opposition to the Indiana law.” Cyrus was more blunt in a Time interview : “They are dinosaurs, and they are dying off. We are the new generation, and with that will come so much.” General Cyrus also noted in a tweet how social media helped call up the platoons. “Forgot how much I love Twitter for these reasons. Communication & connection! Social media has some serious power!”
Forgot how much I love Twitter for these reasons. Communication & connection! Social media has some serious power!
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) March 28, 2015
