Transgender Online Creators’ Images Misused in Transphobic PragerU Propaganda Film

Jessica Hutfless, a transgender woman, software engineer, and pinball enthusiast, was shocked when her image was being exploited in a documentary advertisement by the Prager University Foundation, a conservative advocacy organization known for its transphobia.

Huftless posted on Threads Thursday pointing out that her image was being used not only without her permission but to spread a message that she absolutely doesn’t support.

“This is the documentary that PragerU used my face, and the face of many other trans people (without any of our permission) to advertise,” she wrote.

The group secured a “takeover” ad on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday, part of a broader $1 million promotional endeavor to publicize its divisive film Detrans: The Dangers of Gender-Affirming Care, NBC News reported.

Hutfless’s ordeal began when a message on Discord alerted her to PragerU’s unauthorized use of her image. The documentary was being advertised using clips from various transgender creators, including a clip of Hutfless. “They sent me a picture of the trending page on Twitter. And it had the hashtag ‘detransition’. And there’s my face right there in this screenshot,” she recounted during an interview with The Advocate.

The advertisement insinuated that content by transgender creators, like Hutfless, was “essentially grooming children,” a claim she vehemently denies. “Us making videos — I mean trans people making videos — we’re just existing, everyone makes videos on the internet these days. But when we do it, suddenly it’s grooming children,” she said.

The misuse of her image in the advertisement led to an uptick in hateful messages directed towards Hutfless, forcing her to bolster her online defenses. She said she enabled filters for her social media accounts – she has more than 200,000 followers on TikTok.

“I saw the uptick in hate happening, and I was like, ‘right, I’m just going to, you know, stronger comment filters,’” she said.

Despite the backlash, Hutfless is considering legal action against PragerU for unauthorized use of her image. “I’m not going to let them intimidate me out of it,” she stated firmly.

Beyond the digital realm, Hutfless, 29, is an avid pinball enthusiast, owning two machines dedicated to Foo Fighters and Ultraman. Her passion for pinball, Godzilla, and fashion forms an integral part of her online content.

Through TikTok, she also documents her journey as a transgender woman, showcasing the highs, lows, and mundane moments of her transition since age 25, aiming to provide an authentic portrayal of transgender lives.

“I knew I was trans before I knew what the word trans was,” she said, reflecting on her journey.

Despite the misuse of her image, Hutfless remains undeterred and continues to share her life online, promoting a narrative of resilience, authenticity, and trans joy.

The incident has not dimmed her positivity or her resolve to live authentically.

“I’m happy to be alive, and that was not the case for a very, very long time,” she said.