Major music streaming platforms Spotify and Apple Music are being scrutinized for hosting transphobic songs connected to Christian rapper Tyson James and his 11-year-old son Toby that have raked in millions of views on social media.
The song with Tyson and Toby James called "Still 2 Genders" sparked controversy for its derogatory lyrics towards transgender people. Tyson James shared a video of him and his son rapping the song on TikTok before it found its way to X, the platform previously known as Twitter, where it amassed almost 8 million views.
Tyson James also has a transphobic song called "2 Genders" that he posted previously.
The Advocate discovered that “Still 2 Genders” is available on Apple Music and Spotify. Both platforms have yet to respond to inquiries from The Advocate regarding the availability of these songs, which starkly contrasts with both companies’ stated policies against hate speech.
The song’s lyrics, which contain phrases like, “If you are a Susie, you can’t be Scott,” and an extreme anti-trans slur, have been widely criticized for promoting hatred and bigotry towards transgender individuals. Furthermore, the song’s derogatory characterization of trans people as “demons” stands in stark contrast to the content policies of both Apple Music and Spotify.
Apple Music for Artists’ terms of service stipulates that all lyrics provided to the platform must be “correct, accurate, and do not contain hate speech.” On the other hand, Spotify’s Dangerous Content policy bars “content that incites violence or hatred towards a person or group of people based on race, religion, gender identity or expression.”
A spokesperson from GLAAD voiced concerns to The Advocate about the platforms’ inconsistency in enforcing their content policies.
“Companies have hate speech policies to protect all of their users from toxic content. When platforms fail to enforce their own policies, they undermine the safety of their products and the best interests of their users,” the spokesperson said, highlighting the detrimental real-world impacts of such hateful rhetoric.
Related:Child Rapper’s Viral Transphobic Song Shocks Audiences
Pointing to a troubling rise in anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, the spokesperson cited over 500 threats and acts of violence and more than 500 proposed anti-LGBTQ+ laws this year alone.
“The rise in dangerous anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric targeting people with extreme hate and lies is continuing to cause real-world harm and danger,” the spokesperson added.
The ongoing availability of these songs on major streaming platforms raises critical questions, advocates say, regarding the commitment of these platforms to uphold their content policies and ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all users.
The digital sphere’s struggle with hate speech moderation, especially concerning anti-LGBTQ+ content, extends beyond the realm of music streaming platforms. A recent Media Matters for America report lambasted Instagram for allegedly failing to moderate content posted by the contentious anti-trans group Gays Against Groomers. Despite other platforms like PayPal and Google taking decisive action to ban Gays Against Groomers for similar violations, Instagram, owned by Meta, has allowed the group’s harmful rhetoric to increase for over a year.
Last week, another example of failure to moderate content surfaced on X. The White House
condemned the online harassment against Tyler Cherry, a spokesperson for the Department of the Interior, orchestrated by
Chaya Raichik through her Libs of TikTok account on X. “No one should be targeted simply for being themselves. It is cruel and unacceptable," a White House officia said in a statement at the time. "This is an administration that believes to our core in the principle that out of many we are one — and we are proud that the people who serve in it reflect those values as well."
