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by | Mar 23, 2018 | Amelanchier, Amelanchier

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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 (or, conversely, that some openly transgender celebrities are cisgender).[1] The methodology used by "transvestigators" adhering to this theory is subject to pareidolia and often suffers from confirmation bias.[2][3]

Prominent celebrities accused of being transgender include Taylor Swift, Madonna, Melania Trump, Margot Robbie and Michelle Obama.[4][2] Athletes accused of being trans include Mike Tyson, Serena Williams, and Katie Ledecky.[5][1][6] Brigitte Macron, the First Lady of France, has filed suit against accusations that she previously identified as a man.[7]

Conspiracy theories

The conspiracy theory surrounding transvestigation appears to have gone viral through a YouTube video uploaded in 2017.[8] 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.[9][10] GLAAD considers the movement to be an expression of transphobia.[11] The theories have gained considerable popularity on the social media platform X.[12]

France

Brigitte Macron, the First Lady of France, has sought legal action against the allegation that she was born male.[7] The conspiracy theory, which suggests that she was previously known as Jean-Michel Trogneux, has been traced to a far-right author in France, and has trended on social media.[7]

United States

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.[13][14] Michelle Obama has been frequently accused of being a trans woman, which Noah Berlatsky of the Pacific Standard considers unsurprising, stating that "[j]ust as trans women are stereotypically caricatured as faking femininity, [B]lack women are caricatured as innately non-feminine" within the United States.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Transvestigation: Definition, Meaning, and Origin in Anti-LGBTQ Hate". GLAAD. November 2, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Lenton, Patrick (February 8, 2024). "A Wild Investigation of Transvestigators, the People Who Think Celebs Are All Trans". Vice. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  3. ^ Klee, Miles (July 18, 2022). "Unhinged 'Transvestigators' Think They're the Only Cis People Left". MEL Magazine.
  4. ^ a b Karleby, Peter (October 4, 2023). "Conservatives Roasted After Claiming Taylor Swift Is Secretly 'Trans' With Bizarre Conspiracy". Comic Sands. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  5. ^ a b LaMagdeleine, Izz Scott (July 27, 2023). "No Proof For Rumors That Katie Ledecky Had 'Come Out' as Trans". Snopes.
  6. ^ a b Dawson, Alan (May 31, 2018). "How Serena Williams responds to accusations that she 'was born a guy'". Business Insider. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Brigitte Macron to sue over false claims she was born male". BBC Home. December 22, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  8. ^ Hansford, Amelia. "What is transvestigating? The transphobic online conspiracy theories that harm all women". www.msn.com.
  9. ^ Thomason, Kristen (June 22, 2023). "Transvestigation: The new eugenics". Baptist News Global. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Vernon, Hayden; Moreno, Natalie (September 21, 2023). "The Conspiracy Theorists Who Think All Celebrities Are Secretly Trans". Vice. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  11. ^ "Transvestigation: Definition, Meaning, and Origin in Anti-LGBTQ Hate". GLAAD. November 2, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ Klee, Miles (August 2, 2024). "MAGA Trolls Bully Kyle Rittenhouse Into Sticking With Trump". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  14. ^ Thalen, Mikael (August 4, 2024). "QAnon launches transvestigation into Kyle Rittenhouse after he wavered on Trump". The Daily Dot.
  15. ^ Berlatsky, Noah (October 14, 2014). "Michelle Obama Trans-Truthers Reveal Persisting Prejudices". The Pacific Standard. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
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