In our current moment of heightened misinformation, bigotry, and ignorance, it’s essential to remember, honor, and protect trans women, especially on social media. While we have plenty of genuine, fun personalities like Alex Consani and Hunter Schafer who strongly advocate for rrans rights and speak out against other social injustices, it doesn’t negate the privilege they have in comparison to non-famous trans women or trans women of color. Consani and Schafer’s cases are not the norm: many trans women on social media, especially trans women of color, aren’t loved as proudly and are often gaslighted for sharing their harsh experiences in the community.
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In a recent joint interview with ELLE Magazine, trans icons Laverne Cox and Dylan Mulvaney revisited their viral 2023 Grammys Red Carpet interview. At the time, the media dissected Cox for her stern suggestion that Mulvaney not share everything about her transition online. According to ELLE, Cox stated, “I remember I saw people saying that I was being shady to you, that I was being mean to you. And I generally don’t engage with that stuff, but it came up, and I was like, “Huh.”
Despite the narratives created online, Dylan wasn’t too fazed by them, later stating how important Cox’s words were to her, especially after an extended period of fame showed her how disingenuous people can be.
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The problem here isn’t people misunderstanding the interaction—it’s the subtle colorism and microaggressions against Laverne for the purpose of lifting up Dylan. Laverne Cox doesn’t have the luxury of white trans women celebrities who are protected by comparison, and are rarely spoken about as being “aggressive” or hateful.
Black trans women on TikTok have consistently spoken out about how dehumanizing social media can be to trans people due to the many passive-aggressive statements about “passability”, outing, shaming, and general hyper-scrutiny they have to deal with.
There are many totally normal and fine ways to speak to trans women. Humiliating them with nasty words or stereotypes is not the way to go.
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