Far-right extremists manipulated and deceived queer folks to create anti-transgender film: report

Popular far-right influencers have been exposed for engaging in deceptive and unethical practices as they created video content they claim is a documentary.

Rolling Stoneexposed the deceitful practices of Robby and Landon Starbuck, filmmakers of the anti-trans video The War on Children, revealing a calculated effort to ensnare LGBTQ+ allies and activists into unwitting participation. The film, which has received attention due to promotion by high-profile figures like billionaire Elon Musk, claims to address the avoidance of discussion by LGBTQ+ activists. Yet, the experiences of those involved tell a different story: one of manipulation and deceit.

Veronika Electronika, a drag queen from Nashville, became one of the Starbucks’ most notable targets. Believing she was contributing to a documentary exploring the challenges faced by trans children and the impact of bans on gender-affirming care and drag performances, Electronika was misled into sitting down with the Starbuck couple. Her realization of the interviewers’ true identities — known right-wing activists with a history of opposing LGBTQ+ rights — prompted an immediate attempt to withdraw from the conversation.

This incident is emblematic of the Starbucks’ broader strategy: to employ misrepresentation and deceit to compile content for their film.

The Rolling Stone investigation unveils a pattern of deceptive practices by the Starbucks and their team. Potential interviewees were approached with various innocuous-sounding project titles, promising a focus on inclusivity and the negative consequences of legislative restrictions on the trans community. These misrepresentations were crafted to lure participants under the guise of a balanced and empathetic exploration of issues affecting LGBTQ+ people. Instead, the documentary was released on conservative platforms, featuring content that aligns with the anti-LGBTQ+ narratives prevalent in right-wing media.

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The manipulation did not end at recruitment. Electronika’s interaction with the Starbucks and others who were similarly deceived underwent significant editorial manipulation, the magazine reports. According to Rolling Stone, the content was selectively edited or entirely omitted to skew perspectives and fit the documentary’s predetermined agenda, which focuses on discrediting and vilifying the LGBTQ+ community. Such editorial choices raise serious ethical questions and highlight the filmmakers’ intent to propagate a misleading and harmful narrative.

Moreover, Rolling Stone’s report sheds light on the growing tactic of framing such productions as documentaries within right-wing media ecosystems. This approach, as seen with The War on Children, allows for bypassing social media and platform guidelines against hate speech under the veneer of journalistic or documentary inquiry. The film’s distribution through conservative platforms like Rumble and X, formerly Twitter, further demonstrates its alignment with broader right-wing efforts to undermine LGBTQ+ rights and visibility.