YouTube star Trisha Paytas shocked the internet after uploading a controversial video on October 7, in which she came out as a gay, transgender man.
In her divisive video, Paytas explained that she had been the victim of childhood bullying due to growing facial hair, had received male nicknames, and claimed that she is attracted to gay men, stating that she “identifies with men better.”
“I do love girls, and I love their sensitivity and stuff like that,” Paytas stated. “But that’s why I identify more as a gay man – because I like guys, but also identify as a guy.”
Paytas’ video sparked outrage across the net shortly after its publication, with many accusing the YouTuber of exploiting the transgender community for views and attention.
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“…Using gender identity as clickbait is a privileged act of violence,” Drag Queen Vicky Vox wrote of the matter. “I’m not gonna stand for it. I don’t care what it’s actually about. The headline and photo used cannot be serious.”
Report this tweet. Using gender identity as click bait is a privileged act of violence. I’m not gonna stand for it. I don’t care what it’s actually about. The headline and photo used cannot be serious. Trans people are murdered for quietly trying to live their life. Big NOPE:rage: https://t.co/b7PB99vc5H
— VICKY VOX (@TheVickyVox) October 7, 2019
Paytas has since spoken out in response to the backlash surrounding her announcement, revealing that her biggest regret about the video is how she handled her explanation of her identity.
“I regret the way I explained myself,” Paytas admitted in a video interview with TMZ. “I don’t regret talking about it. …I’m not a spokesperson for the trasngender community, you know what I mean? I just know I’ve always been trasngender, so I just talked about it.”
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She went on to claim that she’d made a mistake regarding the “sensitivity” of her announcement. She later revealed that she would not be undergoing gender reassignment surgery because “I don’t think that’s for me… I don’t want to dress like a boy, I just am.”
This wouldn’t be the first time Paytas has reacted to the outrage following her video. The star published a series of Tweets that revealed she’d been in “gender identity therapy” for six months.
You don’t know me, my journey , my struggle, my transition. I’ve been with a gender identity therapy specialist for the past 6 months cause I hated who I was since I was 3. Think before you tweet , THIS is more harmful than me sharing my story.
— Trisha Paytas (@trishapaytas) October 7, 2019
Paytas likewise uploaded another video in wake of the backlash, titled, “I’M QUESTIONING,” where she explained that she had been “scared” to discuss her identity and that she’d “always had conflict with my gender.”
Despite her explanation, critics are still finding fault with her announcement, continuing to accuse the YouTuber of seeking attention in the wake of her divisive statements.