Twitter removes thousands of tweets with poster for ‘Trans Day of Vengeance’

Mar 30, 2023

Shannon Longworth Reporter

By Shannon Longworth (Reporter), Ben Burke (Producer)

Twitter’s head of Trust and Safety, Ella Irwin, announced on Wednesday, March 29, that the company has taken down more than 5,000 tweets and retweets containing a poster promoting a “Trans Day of Vengeance” event planned for Saturday, April 1, outside the U.S. Supreme Court. The poster said “stop trans genocide.”

“We do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them,” Irwin said. “‘Vengeance’ does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or support for peaceful protests is ok.”

In early March 2023, Twitter updated its policy to prohibit violent speech on the site, although similar rules had been in place before Elon Musk acquired the company.

Many of the tweets that were removed were posted by Conservatives connecting the event to the Nashville school shooting, in which the shooter was trans. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene claims her account was suspended for doing so. Meanwhile, trans activists and supporters pointed out that “Trans Day of Vengeance” is a longstanding joke or meme within the community.

The protest was organized by the Trans Radical Activist Network, which stated on its website that the event is about unity and not inciting violence. The group added that it does not encourage violence and that such behavior is not welcome at the protest.

Tags: Elon Musk, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nashville, Supreme Court, Transgender, Twitter

SHANNON LONGWORTH: TWITTER HAS SCRUBBED THOUSANDS OF TWEETS THAT INCLUDE A POSTER ABOUT A “TRANS DAY OF VENGEANCE.”

THE POSTER REFERRED TO AN EVENT PLANNED FOR SATURDAY, OUTSIDE THE US SUPREME COURT, TO “STOP TRANS GENOCIDE.”

ELLA IRWIN, TWITTER’S HEAD OF TRUST AND SAFETY, TWEETED ON WEDNESDAY THAT THE COMPANY HAD AUTOMATICALLY REMOVED MORE THAN 5,000 TWEETS AND RETWEETS OF THE POSTER.

SHE SAID, “WE DO NOT SUPPORT TWEETS THAT INCITE VIOLENCE IRRESPECTIVE OF WHO POSTS THEM. ‘VENGEANCE’ DOES NOT IMPLY PEACEFUL PROTEST. ORGANIZING OR SUPPORT FOR PEACEFUL PROTESTS IS OK.”

EARLIER THIS MONTH, TWITTER ADOPTED A NEW POLICY THAT PROHIBITS VIOLENT SPEECH ON THE SITE—THOUGH SIMILAR RULES *DID* EXIST BEFORE ELON MUSK BOUGHT THE COMPANY.

MANY OF THE TWEETS THAT WERE REMOVED WERE FROM CONSERVATIVES WHO WERE CONNECTING THE EVENT TO THE NASHVILLE SCHOOL SHOOTING, IN WHICH THE SHOOTER WAS TRANS. REPRESENTATIVE MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAYS HER ACCOUNT WAS SUSPENDED FOR DOING JUST THAT.

MEANWHILE, TRANS ACTIVISTS AND SUPPORTERS ONLINE HAVE POINTED OUT THAT “TRANS DAY OF VENGEANCE” IS A LONGSTANDING JOKE OR MEME WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

THE GROUP ORGANIZING THE PROTEST—THE TRANS RADICAL ACTIVIST NETWORK—WROTE ON ITS WEBSITE: “THIS PROTEST IS ABOUT UNITY, NOT INCITING VIOLENCE. TRAN DOES NOT ENCOURAGE VIOLENCE AND IT IS NOT WELCOME AT THIS EVENT.”