It’s no secret that Twitter has been filled with transphobic users and rhetoric for years, and yet the social media platform has refused to acknowledge the problem.
That’s why it was a bit of an eye-roll on Thursday, when Twitter published a half-hearted apology encouraging users to report transphobic abuse on the site. In response, trans users and their allies are pointing out all the terrible things Twitter does to trans people.
Nearly two weeks after it was reported by the New York Times that the Trump administration is proposing to define gender as one’s assigned sex at birth, Twitter’s official LGBTQ group TwitterOpen condemned this proposal. In a statement on Twitter, TwitterOpen stressed that the site “recognizes that trans people exist and welcomes them to the flock.” It also went on to say that trans peoples’ experiences and identities “are valid and vital to our world,” and that Twitter “stands with trans people, not because we are radical, but because we are human.”
First off, Twitter spoke out a little too late. But Twitter is also ignoring the fact that being trans is a pretty radical political existence. The right-wing actively targets trans people by attacking trans children, refusing service to trans people, and attempting to strip away basic rights like using the bathroom. Like it or not, simply being trans has become a politicized existence, which means standing for trans people is just as much of one.
While ideally, trans peoples’ existence shouldn’t be politicized, Twitter is trying to simultaneously come out for trans people while distancing itself from the political circumstances trans people experiences, and it can’t have it both ways. Condemning discrimination is not neutral.
But that’s not all. TwitterOpen didn’t even acknowledge that transphobia is an inherent problem on its platform. Instead of promising real change, TwitterOpen simply invited trans people and their allies to report abuse “if you have experienced” it.
https://twitter.com/TwitterOpen/status/1058044308249427968
https://twitter.com/TwitterOpen/status/1058044725586878464
https://twitter.com/TwitterOpen/status/1058045062272102400
https://twitter.com/twitteropen/status/1058045912495214593?s=21
“If you have experienced or seen the harassment of trans people on our platform, we apologize deeply,” the statement reads. “We are constantly improving our safety tools and your reports are our greatest tool in that process.”
It’s an apology that reads more like something a waiter would tell you when your meal is 30 minutes late, not a sincere promise to do better over an ongoing and well-documented problem with sexual harassment on social media. From the start, trans people and their allies were far from happy.
https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/1058099182358200320
https://twitter.com/MagsVisaggs/status/1058183550422396929
https://twitter.com/MelStoneMusic/status/1058101655638556672
https://twitter.com/TigretheLion/status/1058100032593977345
https://twitter.com/jeslach/status/1058143465618296832
https://twitter.com/TigretheLion/status/1058100874508226561
https://twitter.com/persenche/status/1058150783152091136
https://twitter.com/NO_BOOT_DEVICE/status/1058050952404627456
If you’re serious about this, @TwitterOpen, invite me and other trans people who get constant harassment to your HQ for meetings on what our harassment looks like on here. https://t.co/7DI1MMFKvA
— Katelyn Burns (@transscribe) November 2, 2018
Instead of improving the site by actively culling transphobic users, Twitter is putting the onus on trans people and trans allies to police the site and report harassment. Which is lazy and doesn’t curb the initial problem.
https://twitter.com/jlwn/status/1058052421421854721
https://twitter.com/AccioBooks/status/1058283154765742081
https://twitter.com/KdinJenzen/status/1058169694816010240
This is like a subway apologizing on the off chanc that anyone has ever witnessed someone be extremely drunk.
— State Song Thread Guy (@sayer_of_stuff) November 1, 2018
No, forget that. This is like Starbucks asking people to report any incidents of coffee.
Other Twitter users pointed out the site’s terrible report feature. More often than not, Twitter outright bans trans people and their allies who strongly criticize TERFs (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists) instead of protecting its trans users. Meanwhile, transphobes get a free pass for their endless dog whistles against trans people.
Twitter has a lot of work to do, and it doesn’t want to admit it.
Twitter dealing with reports of transphobia pic.twitter.com/ohtVCrb1AA
— Neil Scully (@neilscully) November 2, 2018
how about not giving a safe space to t*rfs you idiots https://t.co/uikX3T5b0k
— 💫v // BLM // free palestine (@earthlycmfrt) November 1, 2018
https://twitter.com/ztsamudzi/status/1058154031497936896
https://twitter.com/KatiKnitt/status/1058133027228917761
This happens pretty much every day and most reported tweets are ignored. Meanwhile, harassment reports are weaponised by transphobes against trans people who speak out about their experiences.
— Ruth Pearce (@NotRightRuth) November 2, 2018
your reporting tools are currently often weaponized AS harassment against trans people and their loved ones who defend themselves against hateful ideology
— Assassin of Moon Valley (@cass_krs) November 1, 2018
Do better
https://twitter.com/ErinNanasi/status/1058191198505127937
What is twitter doing to improve this? Trans people have been reporting harassment for years, and end up getting bans themselves. Look inwardly first before you put it back on users to report. pic.twitter.com/v52pAlsmE6
— Shane I (@twistingaether) November 1, 2018
Unfortunately, reporting intense harrassment, even death threats, rarely results in any action, while trans people are repeatedly suspended/banned for even the most mild criticism of transphobes.
— @nAbleMedia@urusai.social (@nAbleMedia) November 2, 2018
You don't actually DO anything when it's reported though, do you? (no. The answer is very much no, you don't.)
— Jay Hulme (@JayHulmePoet) November 1, 2018
https://twitter.com/numinousred/status/1058184161960189952
https://twitter.com/jumbledandjivey/status/1058165731383115777
Others just want the TERFs and Nazis off the site, which Twitter has refused to do for years now.
https://twitter.com/juliesansromeo/status/1058161997345443840
https://twitter.com/HeepDouse/status/1058104148334440455
https://twitter.com/jlwn/status/1058051890221584385
https://twitter.com/Jeroic9/status/1058172993115971584
https://twitter.com/VERWHO/status/1058166835273760768
https://twitter.com/Illford_baker/status/1058168906525769728
This isn’t the first time Twitter users have universally condemned the social media platform publicly. Two weeks ago, Twitter received the roasting of a lifetime after its official account told users to “be sweet when you tweet.” Across the site, users were quick to point out that Twitter lets a cornucopia of bigots tweet things that are not so sweet by simply allowing them on the platform.
“So does this mean you’re going to get rid of the Nazis and TERFs then?” one Twitter user asked. Evidently, no.
https://twitter.com/nyhcmaven84/status/1052586451026759680
READ MORE
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The Daily Dot reached out to Twitter for comment but has not received a response.