The list keeps piling up for me. I can’t play sports because I’m too strong. I can’t play chess because I’m too smart. Now I can’t become homecoming queen because I’m too likable and popular. What is a trans girl to do?
Unfortunately, I came to this exact conclusion after right-wing instigator Libs of TikTok threw a fit over a Kansas City trans girl earning her high school’s homecoming queen title. Oak Park High School crowned the teen during its homecoming event, and Libs of TikTok proceeded to engage in some pretty disparaging remarks aimed at the trans teenager’s gender and appearance that, in all honesty, I’d rather not link out to or repost.
Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, and even RT International joined in on the misgendering after taking Libs of TikTok’s lead. I’ll refrain from linking out to all three sites as well, because bullying and misgendering a high school-aged trans girl is truly a new low. Certainly one must wake up in the morning and ask, “how did I take a job that involves being mean to a schoolgirl over the internet?” I guess the cruelty really is the point.
Nonetheless, Twitter (sorry, X) users were quick to point out that Libs of TikTok was, essentially, upset that a high school trans girl won a popularity contest. Which begs the question: Do trans women have some sort of unfair advantage at being pretty and appreciated by their peers? If Libs of TikTok’s anger is anything to go off, apparently we do. We’re biologically wired to be lovable.
“Trans women have a biological advantage in being popular with their high school classmates now,” Media Matters’ Ari Drennen quipped, to much fanfare. “This just in,” @funkyfreshfio joked, “trans women are now biologically cooler than cis women.”
“Just plainly evil”
Yes, perhaps we do have a so-called unfair biological advantage at beauty contests and being well-liked. But it’s also pretty pathetic that the terminally online far-right are bullying school kids. “Libs of TikTok is literally raging mad that a trans girl is popular among her peers,” Twitter user @penfoldsfiv said. Others had choice words for Chaya Raichik.
“I think the most staggeringly bizarre aspect of the modern trans panic,” @JUNlPER said, “is how these grown ass adults will spend their time politically bullying literal children online. Just plainly evil that wouldn’t be tolerated in any other context.”
Unfortunately for Libs of TikTok, no amount of tweets and Breitbart articles can change the fact that an entire high school voted a trans woman as their homecoming queen for the second time in 10 years. I guess we really do have an unfair advantage at being hip and well-liked—or at least, we have an unfair advantage at becoming homecoming queen at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri.
(featured image: NKC Schools)
