Libs of TikTok, other right-wingers lose it after X reinstates bans on misgendering, deadnaming trans people

In a discreet move that went largely unnoticed until technology news site Ars Technica first reported on it Thursday, X (formerly Twitter) implemented a significant policy change in January, adjusting its approach to handling cases of misgendering and deadnaming. The policy, which does not explicitly mention the word “transgender,” has stirred controversy among the platform’s users, including Chaya Raichik, the creator of the controversial Libs of TikTok account, known for its anti-trans rhetoric.

The revised policy aims to reduce the visibility of posts that engage in targeted harassment, including misgendering and deadnaming, rather than removing them or suspending the offending accounts.

“We will reduce the visibility of posts that purposefully use different pronouns to address someone other than what that person uses for themselves, or that use a previous name that someone no longer goes by as part of their transition,” the policy states. “Given the complexity of determining whether such a violation has occurred, we must always hear from the target to determine if a violation has occurred.”

According to X’s policy document, the platform seeks to empower users to express diverse opinions and beliefs without barriers while recognizing the need to protect individuals from harassment that could jeopardize their ability to express themselves.

However, this approach did not sit well with Raichik, who took to X to challenge the policy’s effectiveness and its implications on free speech. “Apparently X might’ve reinstated their ‘misgendering’ rule so I gotta test it out…” Raichik posted, proceeding to deadname and misgender several prominent transgender figures, including Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, and actor Elliot Page. Raichik’s challenge to the policy prompted a noteworthy exchange with Elon Musk, X’s owner.

Raichik’s tweet sparked a direct response from the billionaire, who assured her, “You’re not going to get suspended.” This assurance from Musk led Raichik to further inquire about the nuances of the policy change, expressing concerns over what she perceived as limitations on speech. “Yeah just shadowbanned and less tweet visibility,” Raichik responded.

Musk clarified his stance, emphasizing the specific target of the policy: “This is just about repeated, targeted harassment of a particular person.” This back-and-forth highlighted the tension between Musk’s vision for X as a bastion of free speech and the need to protect users from harassment.

Raichik followed up with concerns over the fairness of limiting her ability to disrespect trangender people.

“Using the correct sex-based pronouns for someone is ‘harassment?’” she asked. “We’re being forced to lie? What about harassment in general? There are accounts who repeatedly target and harass specific individuals in an obsessive way. What constitutes ‘repeated’ and ‘targeted’ and why do only one group of people get this special treatment?”

Musk did not respond.

The policy change has also incited outrage among right-wing users, who view it as a betrayal of Musk’s commitment to free speech. Supporters of Raichik voiced their frustration online, with one user writing, “Keep him honest, Chaya. At least he responds to you.” Another lamented, “Elon lied about this being a free speech platform. He is favoring advertisers and wants new customers,” while a third remarked, “X is morphing back into Twitter.”

Criticism continued with another user stating, “So much for a ‘maximally truth seeking’ platform. Elon needs to fire more people.” Reflecting on the depth of the divide, one added, “It’s literally the defining issue of our time. Our side must be free to call out their lies.”

After Musk acquired Twitter in October of 2022 and rebranded it as X, the tech entrepreneur made significant cuts to content moderation and safety teams. In May 2023, Musk made headlines by removing existing protections for transgender individuals, signaling a dangerous shift in the platform’s stance on hate speech and harassment. This action raised concerns among LGBTQ+ advocates and users about the future of inclusivity and safety on the platform. Musk’s decision to reduce protections was framed as a move toward prioritizing “free speech” but at the cost of potentially increasing harassment and abuse towards vulnerable communities and the mass exodus of advertisers from the platform, setting the stage for the controversy that would unfold with the recent quiet policy update.

The policy change itself has drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations like GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign, who argue that the policy does not go far enough to protect transgender and nonbinary users from harassment.

“The phrasing of the new policy clearly indicates that mitigations will be applied to violative content that engages in targeted misgendering and deadnaming (using previous pronouns and names), however it is not a best practice to put the burden on the person being targeted to self-report,” a GLAAD spokesperson told The Advocate. “This effectively means that enormous quantities of dangerous anti-trans hate and harassment will remain active on the platform — causing harm to trans and nonbinary people who see it,” the spokesperson said.

The Advocate contacted X’s press team, which was essentially dismantled after Musk acquired the company. An email from X in response to a request for comment read, “Busy now, please check back later.”

A new GLAAD report underscores the industry’s growing consensus on prohibiting targeted misgendering and deadnaming, emphasizing such acts as deliberate forms of hate and harassment.

In recent months, through GLAAD’s advocacy, social media companies, including Spoutible, Post, Discord, and Snapchat, have implemented policies prohibiting targeted misgendering and deadnaming.

“X’s overarching approach to content moderation (reducing visibility rather than removing posts or suspending users who violate their rules) differs from other large platforms and means that all users are often exposed to far greater levels of toxic and harmful content,” a GLAAD spokesperson said. “This approach continues to be a barrier for advertisers and negatively impacts how all users — brands, news outlets, influencers, celebrities, and public figures — experience the platform.”

Senior fellow for Tech Advocacy & LGBTQ+ Inclusion at HRC Belle Torek questioned the efficacy of decreasing post visibility.

“Merely reducing the visibility of offensive posts, as opposed to outright removal or suspension, does not adequately address the significant harm that misgendering and deadnaming cause their targets,” Torek told The Advocate.

“Harassment in the form of misgendering and deadnaming often seeks to invalidate and silence LGBTQ+ people online,” Torek noted, adding that the burden placed on victims to report violations can exacerbate their trauma and discourage them from participating in online spaces.

Both organizations criticized the policy’s omission of explicit references to transgender people and its quiet implementation, viewing it as indicative of a broader reluctance to enforce protections against targeted harassment. “A policy is only as good as its enforcement,” Torek stressed, pointing to the importance of unequivocal support for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse users.

Torek also criticized Musk’s assertion that Raichik wouldn’t be affected.

“When a platform demonstrates unwillingness to enforce its own policies or grants exemptions to high-profile users, it undermines the credibility of the guidelines and signals to bad actors that their actual conduct doesn’t really matter,” Torek said.

As the debate continues, the actions of X and its leadership in the coming months will be closely watched by both supporters and critics of the policy change.

“While there are a multitude of reasons that a platform user may change their name or pronouns, it is telling that they deliberately omit mention of transgender users. In the same way that X should support users who change their names when they get married, or who use a professional alias instead of their government name, X can and should demonstrate its unequivocal support for its transgender, nonbinary, gender-diverse, and other LGBTQ+ users; and this policy is a strong opportunity for X to do just that,” Torek added. “We’ll see if their actions match.”

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misattributed part of an HRC statement to a GLAAD spokesperson and has been corrected.