Controversy brews on Bluesky after users complain about anti-trans podcaster

In the aftermath of the election, Bluesky has become a social media utopia for many marginalized groups, but now that peace is being threatened by an anti-trans user who others are urging the growing platform to ban.

When Elon Musk bought Twitter (now X) and started promoting right-wing political views, liberals everywhere started looking for an escape route, and Bluesky seemed to be the answer.

POC and LGBTQ+ users flocked to the new social media site after Donald Trump was elected in the hopes of finding an online community that didn’t allow right-wing bigots and conspiracy theorists to flourish unimpeded the way they are easily able to on X.

But now, Bluesky has ballooned to include 25 million users, and with that influx has come anti-trans writer and podcaster Jesse Singal, Tech Crunch reports.

Singal’s loudly anti-trans views have made him the most blocked user on Bluesky, but this hasn’t quelled user complaints about him being given a new platform on the social media network.

The controversial 41-year-old has been tagged by GLAAD’s Accountability Project as someone who has “used their platforms, influence, and power to spread misinformation and harm LGBTQ people” based on his writings on trans issues and other matters.

Part of what made Bluesky so attractive to Black and queer users who wanted to leave X was the amount of control it allows users to have over their own experience on the site. According to Tech Crunch, Bluesky has robust moderation and a suite of custom tools to help users curate the experience they want, including “block lists, layered moderation, custom feeds, custom algorithms, labeling services, and more.” Users can even take advantage of dedicated block lists that let you block entire groups, like MAGA supporters.

But despite these advanced controls, Bluesky users are concerned their experience on the site may be compromised by the addition of Singal. Now, people are demanding that Bluesky intervene by preventing him from increasing his audience reach and by not giving Singal — and people like him — a platform altogether by banning him.

While permanently banning Singal would be easy enough to do if he violated Bluesky’s terms of service or guidelines — users say he has already begun harassing trans people on the site — this decision could put the social media company at risk with the FCC since Brendan Carr, Trump’s pick as the next head of the commission, has already said he plans to go after tech companies he thinks are censoring right-wing voices, the Washington Post reports.

Singal’s presence on the site which was once an escape from the racism and anti-LGBTQ+ hate found on X has led users to create a Change.org petition to ban him from the site.

This isn’t the first time Bluesky has come under fire for moderation issues; last year, it faced criticism from Black users for its handling of hateful and violent rhetoric, Tech Crunch reported at the time.