Transvestigation (a portmanteau of transgender and investigation) is a conspiracy theory that asserts that many celebrities and other prominent individuals are transgender (or, conversely, that some openly transgender celebrities are cisgender).[1] Proponents claim to be able to determine the assigned sex of individuals, primarily through photographic and video evidence. 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, Lady Gaga, Melania Trump, Margot Robbie, Michelle Obama and Jacinda Ardern.[4][2][5] Prominent athletes accused of being trans include Serena Williams and Katie Ledecky.[6][1][7] Brigitte Macron, the First Lady of France, has filed suit against accusations that she previously identified as a man.[8]
In the aftermath of the boxing controversy at the 2024 Olympic Games, the term gained renewed attention in light of accusations against Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting.[9][10]
Conspiracy theories
editThe 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.[11][12] GLAAD considers the movement to be an expression of transphobia.[1] The theories have gained considerable popularity on the social media platform X.[13]
France
editBrigitte Macron, the First Lady of France, has sought legal action against the allegation that she was born male.[8] 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.[8]
United States
editA 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 Serena Williams, and Katie Ledecky.[6][1][7] Kyle Rittenhouse has been accused of being a trans man, with the claim partly motivated by his criticism of Donald Trump.[14][15] Former First Lady Michelle Obama has frequently been 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.[16]
See also
edit
- Passing (gender) – Ability to be perceived as the gender one identifies as
- Sex verification in sports
- Transmisogyny – Intersection of transphobia and misogyny, experienced by transfeminine individuals
- Transphobia – Anti-transgender prejudice
- Misogynoir – Term for misogyny toward black women
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Transvestigation: Definition, Meaning, and Origin in Anti-LGBTQ Hate". GLAAD. November 2, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Klee, Miles (July 18, 2022). "Unhinged 'Transvestigators' Think They're the Only Cis People Left". MEL Magazine.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Two women go on trial for claiming French first lady is transgender". Le Monde. June 20, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
- ^ a b LaMagdeleine, Izz Scott (July 27, 2023). "No Proof For Rumors That Katie Ledecky Had 'Come Out' as Trans". Snopes.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c "Brigitte Macron to sue over false claims she was born male". BBC Home. December 22, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ López, Quispe (August 14, 2024). "How "Transvestigation," An Anti-Trans Conspiracy Theory, Made Its Way Into Mainstream Politics". Them. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ Radin, Sara (August 9, 2024). "What Is a 'Transvestigation?' Misogyny Gets a Rebrand at the Paris Olympics". Glamour. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Berlatsky, Noah (October 14, 2014). "Michelle Obama Trans-Truthers Reveal Persisting Prejudices". The Pacific Standard. Retrieved November 29, 2022.