Elon Musk finds himself navigating choppy waters once again in a whirlwind of controversy. This time, over changes to X’s policy on ‘deadnaming’ with transgender users. The whole thing’s got people talking, especially since Musk’s views on transgender issues have been controversial.
X made some changes to its rules last April, which upset a lot of LGBTQ+ groups. The platform removed bans on things like ‘deadnaming’ (calling transgender people by their old names) and misgendering. People were worried these changes could hurt a lot of users.
Apparently X might’ve reinstated their “misgendering” rule so I gotta test it out…
Richard Levine is male. He is a man.
Dylan Mulvaney is male. He is a man.
Ellen Page is female. She is a woman.If I get suspended you can find me at @libsoftiktok 🙌🏻
— Chaya Raichik (@ChayaRaichik10) March 1, 2024
But Musk didn’t seem bothered by the backlash. He kept engaging with comments that were anti-trans.
Then, a court in Brazil stepped in, and X had to backtrack on its policy. Last week, they quietly put some of the old rules back in place.
This whole mess shows how Musk is trying to keep both his supporters and the law happy. It also shows how speaking out can actually make a difference.
I will be terminating all ad spend commitments and verified accounts over X reinstating the misgendering policy
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) March 2, 2024
As Musk deals with the fallout from X’s policy change, it’s a reminder that even big shots like him have to pay attention to what people are saying.