Anti-trans activists made #peaktrans to spread hate and it backfired spectacularly
It started as an anti-trans hashtag, but the hate was quickly drowned out by a wave of love and acceptance.
Pro-trans activists took back #peaktrans after a brief spell of it being used to spread messages denying trans people’s existence.
Anti-trans people took to Reddit and Mumsnet to prepare others of their persuasion for a concerted attempt to promote the hashtag this week.
(Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)
On an anti-trans subreddit, one person wrote that #peaktrans was “the moment when you go from thinking that the trans movement is a just cause that is about fighting for the rights of a tiny marginalised minority to realising that it’s actually… something else. Something that might even be quite troubling and sinister.”
They then accused trans people and their advocates of “male supremacism, homophobia and child abuse.”
Another said: “It’s like ‘woke.”
It is not, in fact, like being woke. Woke is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, being “alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice” in a positive way.
Of course, the wonderful trans advocates of the internet could not let this slide. They had to intervene to take back a hashtag which should be a celebration of all things trans.
“Good morning everyone!” an organiser began, adding: “Some of the trans community has chosen to reclaim #peaktrans from TERFs today. If you want to participate, here are some ideas!
(Twitter/my_trans_voice)
“Go into the tag, Like & support trans positivity posts. Additionally, you can report the harmful anti-trans posts in there.”
One person wrote: “Hey TERFs leave #peaktrans it’s ours now. Thank.”
(Twitter/lucydeire)
Another said: “#peaktrans is turning a Transphobic hashtag into the most Trans positive hashtag possible.”
(Twitter/princess_stef69)
There is an undeniably glorious truth to that sentiment.
“#PeakTrans is realising all the things society taught you about trans people are cruel lies, and that the trans community is one of the most loving and accepting and empowering communities you’ve ever known,” said one activist.
(Twitter/amazonchique)
And another had a message for “all the TERFs crying about #peaktrans being stolen from them” – and it was a pretty excellent one.
(Twitter/eugenevlesbian)
One posted an extremely apt cartoon which speaks volumes about the ridiculousness of cisgender people inserting themselves needlessly into discussions where they don’t belong.
(Twitter/chakatkimber)
Above it, they wrote: “#peaktrans is the Bria Smile of Gender Euphoria.”
Another advocate simply expressed their delight at how successful the plan to take back the hashtag had been.
They wrote: “I love how trans folks stole this hashtag from monsters who dedicated lives and careers to the hatred of trans people.
(Twitter/jesskanightmare)
“Can you imagine dedicating your whole life to hurting trans folks? It’s really pathetic.”
Another person chimed in with an excellent – and timely – point, saying: “#peaktrans is knowing no trans girl would toss ‘extra estrogen’ into a coffee cup at starbucks cos there’s no such thing as ‘extra estrogen’… and if there was…we’d share it with someone who needed it.”
(Twitter/PeakTranarchy)
Burn.
Activist Shon Faye said: “#PeakTrans is conducting yourself with more grace, dignity, warmth and humour than the people who think the same five transphobic arguments can stop you living your best life.”
(Twitter/shonfaye)
Hell yeah.
And one wrote: “#peaktrans is me being cuter than every TERF who has ever lived ever because I’m cuter than all of you so called feminists.”
(Twitter/queer_kara)
The same activist had another, stronger message for anti-trans activists.
(Twitter/queer_kara)
And one person had an excellent piece of knowledge to share.
(Twitter/transethics)
They said: “#peaktrans is knowing the fact that the chip that drives every smart phone was invented by a trans woman.”
