TheQuartering [3/13/2023]
“Gender-critical” and conservative social media users have rallied behind TikToker Shamirun Nessa for her videos criticizing nonbinary TikToker Jeffrey Marsh.
United Kingdom-based Nessa “stitched” a video of her fellow TikToker where she accused them of encouraging children to privately message them on their account on Patreon—another platform for content creators.
It comes amid a clash between conservatives and defenders of LGBTQ rights in the United States. Around 26 states are seeking to outlaw so-called gender-affirming care for minors and to redefine drag performers as “adult-oriented entertainment”, with conservatives saying that such measures are intended to protect children. Rights defenders reject conservative accusations of “grooming” children and say LGBTQ people are being unfairly attacked and deprived of their rights.
The February 22 video begins with Marsh saying through gritted teeth in one of their TikToks, “stop telling trans people that we’re inspirational.” Nessa “stitched” the video—a TikTok feature where users can combine their video with another user’s—and mimicked Marsh’s style of speaking.
“Stop telling kids to go on your Patreon and chat to you privately without their parents knowing,” Nessa said in the video, which had 4.6 million views at the time of writing.
She captioned the post: “TO ALL PARENTS AND GUARDIANS PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND KEEP YOUR MUNCHKINS SAFE!”
Newsweek did not see a video in which Marsh specifically addresses minors and tells them to get in touch, but in one video they do say “your parents screwed up” before going on to explain “that’s why I made a Patreon so that we could talk about it, so that we could connect in a way that has more privacy, so that we can talk to each other in a way that’s more open…”
Neither Marsh nor Nessa responded to requests for comment from Newsweek.
Marsh, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, is an LGBTQ advocate who runs a social media brand.
“Jeffrey is a bestselling author, viral TikTok and Instagram star, nonbinary activist, and LGBTQ keynote speaker,” their website says. “Jeffrey is a highly sought-after Breakthrough and Gender Counseling Coach, helping straight and LGBTQ people attain a lasting sense of peace and self-compassion.”