Madonna has been criticised after she used the word "gay" as an insult.

The singer used the term despite being considered a gay icon and having spoken out on equal rights in the past.

The singer, 55, was taking part in a word association game for Buzzfeed when she made the comment.

She labelled Hillary Clinton "angry" and the Crocs shoe as "effective".

When presented with the leafy vegetable kale, she wrote "gay" - she also used the term to describe Russian President Vladimir Putin.

One fan said: "I am surprised she is using the word 'gay' as an insult. I thought she was more sensitive than that."

Another wrote on the site: "Could have done without the 'gay' comments but otherwise funny."

In January, Madonna apologised for using a racial slur to refer to her white son on Instagram.

She posted a picture of her 13-year-old son Rocco boxing and used a hashtag that contained a variation of the n-word.

She said she used the word as a term of endearment.