Twitter Allows Transphobic Film After Conservative Uproar

Elon Musk’s version of Twitter continues to cater to the far right, but conservative outlets have found that the platform may still limit some hateful rhetoric. For example, the Daily Wire was preparing to start streaming its podcasts on Twitter, but the social media company reportedly balked at a deal to stream a documentary that was anti-transgender.

On Thursday morning, far-right news outlet Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing tweeted that Twitter had refused to show What Is a Woman?, an anti-trans documentary The Daily Wire planned to broadcast in conjunction with the beginning of Pride Month on June 1. The film was labeled as hateful on Twitter based on instances in which transgender people were misgendered, Boreing claimed.

The fallout comes at a time when Twitter is moving to the far right and alienating a significant portion of its user base. In April, the company removed its policy prohibiting misgendering.

Several right-wing media personalities announced plans to stream their shows on the site, saying it would be less likely to ban them for making false or anti-LGBTQ+ remarks than YouTube.

Boreing’s tweets indicate problems in the partnership.

According to Daily Wire’s CEO, the company partnered with Twitter to stream the film for free and promote it within subscribers’ feeds.

“Twitter responded with enthusiasm and offered us the opportunity to buy a package to host the movie on a dedicated event page and to promote the event to every Twitter user over the first 10 hours,” Boreing tweeted.

However, Twitter’s executives canceled the deal after watching the movie, according to Boreing.

“Twitter let us know that not only could we no longer purchase the package they offered, they would no longer provide us any support and would actually limit the reach of the film and label it as ‘hateful conduct’ because of ‘misgendering,’” he wrote.

Under Twitter’s current rules, one “may not directly attack other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.”

While right-wing Twitter personalities condemned the move as a betrayal, the left received the move well. With Musk at the helm, the site has adopted policies friendly to the far right, including reversing bans placed on users for previous hate-based violations.

In addition, the site has been negotiating streaming deals with right-wing figures. For example, Tucker Carlson announced on May 9 that he would start a new show on Twitter after being fired from his cushy position at Fox News. However, Musk tweeted that Twitter hadn’t signed an agreement with Carlson.

After Boreing’s tweets, Twitter’s new CEO, Linda Yaccarino, was blamed by some on the right.

As a former advertising executive for NBC Universal, Yaccarino’s appointment sparked an outcry from the right, who took issue with Musk’s departure and Yaccarino’s past work for the World Economic Forum.

According to Musk, Twitter’s decision failed to meet Musk’s expectations.

“This was a mistake by many people at Twitter. It is definitely allowed,” Musk wrote in a tweet in response to a claim that Twitter banned misgendering.

Musk also wrote, “The controversy will drive up viewership,” as the wealthiest man in the world elevated the hateful and bigoted film.

It was unclear whether Musk’s interpretation of Twitter’s policy on misgendering will lead the company to rethink the What Is A Woman? streaming deal. Despite this, the site still limited access to clips of the film showing transgender people being misgendered on Thursday evening. “This Tweet may violate Twitter’s rules against hateful conduct,” remarks a note underneath the film clips.

By Thursday night, the Daily Wire tweeted the entire movie out to its followers without any labels or warnings being put on the film by Twitter.

Twitter has not been great for transgender people since Musk took over, in fact it’s been dangerous.

Currently, Elon Musk is calling for imprisoning therapists and healthcare professionals responsible for lowering trans youth suicide rates by providing gender-affirming care to their patients.

He said that this care for kids is “a major problem” that he’s “lobbying to criminalize” it.

Journalist and trans activist Erin Reed called the billionaire out for his bizarre claims.

“Elon Musk is actively calling for imprisoning healthcare professionals and therapists for providing care to trans youth that has been proven to lower their suicide rates by 73%. He also has declared he will lobby against their care politically. Every dime you give him hurts us,” she wrote on Twitter.