It was with shock and — dare we say? — horror that we read the news of the push by the newly formed Norway-based Trans Cultural Mindfulness Allience to make its first mission the banning of Aretha Franklin’s 1968 top 10 hit, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.”

Since it was released, the song “has been a bastion of womanhood and femininity in general,” the website marca.com noted, but the TCMA wants it “canceled.”

The TCMA took to Twitter on Jan. 20 to condemn the ballad, stating:

“Aretha Franklin’s 1968 song ‘Natural Woman’ perpetuates multiple harmful anti-trans stereotypes.

“There is no such thing as a ‘natural’ woman.

“This song has helped inspire acts of harm against transgender women.

“TCMA is requesting it is removed from Spotify & Apple Music.”

As outrage erupted over the request to “cancel” a classic song that is said to be particularly beloved by biological women, the TCMA — after initially claiming it was not a parody account —  “now insists they’re just a satire group and were merely joking about ‘harmful anti-trans stereotypes,’” The New York Post reported on Jan. 23. “...after initial denials, the group has since claimed that their original post was indeed “satirical” in a message to The Post on Jan. 23 afternoon. “The group also updated their Twitter bio to now say ‘PARODY/SATIRE,’” The Post noted. 

However, in a contradictory follow-up tweet that has since been deleted, the account wrote that it was not a parody account. Skeptics still question (wisely,we think) whether it was meant to be taken seriously or as parody.

In general, the news media and public appear to lean toward the supposition that the TCMA backed off from its initial serious advocacy of banning the song after the unexpectedly strong and heated public reaction — and used the parody and satire defense as a strategy to calm things down. 

To all of this, we ask, “Where’s the R-E-S-P-E-C-T?”

As for the TCMA, we suggest it follow the advice (and not just go by feelings) from the lyrics from another Franklin song, “You better think (think)/ Think about what you’re trying to do to me? Think (think, think)....”

Finally, we say to the TMCA that we will “say a little prayer for you,” as Franklin sang famously in a fiery cover of Dionne Warwick’s gorgeous original.  

Instead of banning the song “A Natural Woman,” it should be celebrated.