Transvestigation
Transvestigation (portmanteau of transgender and investigation) is an inquiry to determine the assigned sex of an individual, primarily through photographic and video evidence.
It is a key aspect of a conspiracy theory that asserts that many celebrities and other prominent individuals are transgender.[1] The methodology used by "transvestigators" adhering to this theory is subject to pareidolia and often suffers from confirmation bias.[2][3]
A number of prominent celebrities have been accused of being secretly transgender, including Taylor Swift, Madonna, Melania Trump, Marilyn Monroe and Margot Robbie.[4][2] Athletes accused of being trans include Mike Tyson, Serena Williams, and Katie Ledecky.[5][1][6] Kyle Rittenhouse has been accused of being a trans man, with the latter case partly motivated by his criticism of Donald Trump.[7][8]
"Passing" and stereotypes
[edit]Passing refers to the extent to which someone's gender identity is correctly assumed by others.[9][10]
The ability of a person to "pass" as female appears to be both gendered and racialized. Consistent with racial stereotypes, trans women of East Asian and Southeast Asian descent are believed to have the most feminine appearances, and they are believed to have the best potential to 'pass' as women.[11] It is a common complaint among White transgender women that they cannot compete with Asian women in trans beauty pageants, because Asian women are too 'real' looking, thereby winning the favor of the pageant judges.[11]
Conspiracy theories
[edit]The conspiracy theory surrounding transvestigation appears to have gone viral through a YouTube video uploaded in 2017.[12] The basis for transvestigation ranges from the belief that some celebrities' gender identity simply differs from their birth-assigned sex, to the belief that their transgender identity is part of an initiation ritual known as "elite gender inversion", conducted by Hollywood and music industry elites or secret organizations such as the New World Order and Illuminati.[13][14] GLAAD considers the movement to be an expression of transphobia.[15] The theories have gained considerable popularity on the social media platorm X.[16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Transvestigation: Definition, Meaning, and Origin in Anti-LGBTQ Hate". GLAAD. November 2, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ a b Lenton, Patrick (February 8, 2024). "A Wild Investigation of Transvestigators, the People Who Think Celebs Are All Trans". Vice. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Klee, Miles (July 18, 2022). "Unhinged 'Transvestigators' Think They're the Only Cis People Left". MEL Magazine.
- ^ Karleby, Peter (October 4, 2023). "Conservatives Roasted After Claiming Taylor Swift Is Secretly 'Trans' With Bizarre Conspiracy". Comic Sands. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ LaMagdeleine, Izz Scott (July 27, 2023). "No Proof For Rumors That Katie Ledecky Had 'Come Out' as Trans". Snopes.
- ^ Dawson, Alan (May 31, 2018). "How Serena Williams responds to accusations that she 'was born a guy'". Business Insider. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ Klee, Miles (August 2, 2024). "MAGA Trolls Bully Kyle Rittenhouse Into Sticking With Trump". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
- ^ Thalen, Mikael (August 4, 2024). "QAnon launches transvestigation into Kyle Rittenhouse after he wavered on Trump". The Daily Dot.
- ^ Serano, Julia (October 1, 2013). Excluded: Making Feminist and Queer Movements More Inclusive. Berkeley, California: Seal Press. pp. 194–195. ISBN 978-1-58005-504-8. OCLC 978600133. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ^ Urquhart, Evan (March 30, 2017). "Why Is "Passing" Such a Controversial Subject for Trans People?". Slate Magazine. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
- ^ a b Han, Chong-suk (2009). "Asian Girls Are Prettier: Gendered Presentations as Stigma Management among Gay Asian Men". Symbolic Interaction. 32 (2). Wiley: 112, 119–120. doi:10.1525/si.2009.32.2.106. ISSN 0195-6086.
- ^ Hansford, Amelia. "What is transvestigating? The transphobic online conspiracy theories that harm all women". www.msn.com.
- ^ Thomason, Kristen (June 22, 2023). "Transvestigation: The new eugenics". Baptist News Global. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ Vernon, Hayden; Moreno, Natalie (September 21, 2023). "The Conspiracy Theorists Who Think All Celebrities Are Secretly Trans". Vice. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ^ "Transvestigation: Definition, Meaning, and Origin in Anti-LGBTQ Hate". GLAAD. November 2, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Hsu, Tiffany; Thompson, Stuart A.; Myers, Steven Lee (July 30, 2024). "Kamala Harris Faces a Faster, Uglier Version of the Internet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 4, 2024.